BJP suspends leader for Rohingya support
GUWAHATI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has suspended a leader of its Assam state executive committee belonging to a minority community for support for Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees.
A few days ago Benazir Arfan had uploaded a post on Facebook requesting people to attend a fast in protest against the treatment meted out to the Rohingyas by the Myanmar government. .
The programme organised by the United Minority Peoples Forum, a Guwahati-based NGO, was to be held in the state capital on September 16.
The post generated controversy as the saffron party’s governments in the Centre and in Assam are against allowing entry of the Rohingyas to India.
On Thursday, BJP’S state unit general secretary Dilip Saikia sent a letter to Arfan suspending her from the party with immediate effect and giving her three days time to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against her.
“Despite being an active BJP member, you posted in social media seeking support for a programme organised by another organisation in connection with a problem related to Myanmar,
HE PROGRAMME ORGANISED BY THE UNITED MINORITY PEOPLES FORUM, A GUWAHATIBASED NGO
without initiating any discussion ...” the letter said.
Arfan terms the action as vindictive. “My only mistake was that I wrote ‘a protest fast’ instead of a ‘prayer meeting’ for Rohingyas, both Hindus and Muslims, who died while fleeing Myanmar. I apologised ... but the party didn’t listen,” she said.
“She shouldn’t have raised such a sensitive issue on social media without first discussing about it with party leaders,” said Muktar Hussain Khan, president of the BJP’S minority unit in Assam.