Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sangeet Som lashed out at the burqa in a video posted to his Facebook page on Friday, May 3, alleging that the burqa is “encouraging terrorism,” and calling for it to be banned. “Som also alleged that the burqa was now being used to sound a death knell to democracy in India,” the Indian Express noted.
In the video, which has been watched around 40,000 times as of writing this, Som said, “Loktantra ko khatam karne ke liye jis tarah burqe ki aad me farzi voting ki ja rahi hai usse Bharat jaise desh ko khatra hai (The manner in which fake voting is being done in the guise of the burqa, is dangerous for a country like India),” the Indian Express reported.
Som also took aim at acclaimed lyricist Javed Akhtar in the video, without naming him. Akhtar had previously said to reporters, “If you want to bring a law banning burqa here (in India) and if it is someone’s view I have no objection. But before the last phase of election in Rajasthan, this government should announce a ban on the practice of ‘ghunghat’ (covering of the face by Hindu women) in that State,” The Hindu reported. Akhtar’s remark came after Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the burqa in India, like Sri Lanka has done so following the blasts on Easter Sunday that killed hundreds.
In his video, Som said, “Kya kabhi ghunghat me aatankwad hua hai? Aap logon ko har cheez me sampradiyakta dikhti hai. Aisa kar ke aap tukde tukde gang ke saath khade hote dikhai deta hai aur unke liye prachar karte hai (Has there ever been any incident of terrorism in the garb of the ghunghat? You are seen siding with the tukde tukde gang and you campaign for them),” the Indian Express reported.
Som, who also highlighted the Sri Lanka blasts in his video, was asked in April about his colleague, BJP MP Sanjeev Balyan of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh; Balyan had alleged that fake votes were being cast in his constituency as poll officials were not checking the identities of voters wearing burqas, Scroll reported. However, the Election Commission denied this, with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer L. Ventakeshwarlu telling PTI that a mechanism was in place to address this, and that women poll officials had been posted to check burqa-clad women’s identities, Scroll noted. Som was asked about Balyan’s claim, and alleged that fake voting by burqa-clad voters had happened earlier as well, adding that it was unfortunate, but it would not affect that BJP, ABP Live reported.