Lucknow, June 15 (IANS) Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan sparked a fresh political controversy with his sharp criticism of the BJP, accusing it of creating an atmosphere that has weakened trust between different communities.
Speaking during a visit to Moradabad, Khan alleged that the BJP’s politics has had a lasting impact on social relations and communal harmony across the country.
Addressing reporters, the SP lawmaker claimed that the social fabric of the country has changed significantly in recent years.
“The poison spread by the BJP has been consumed by a large section of the majority community, and it has become poisonous,” he said.
He further stated that trust among communities has weakened and that the atmosphere of mutual understanding that once existed has gradually eroded.
Khan maintained that he was not making personal allegations against any individual.
“At places like Sambhal, we do not face much difficulty in explaining our views to the people because, since the time of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party has had a strong support base there. However, we will also reach out to areas where the minority and Muslim population is smaller and where the Hindu majority is larger. We believe that many people have been influenced by the narrative spread by the BJP. I am not making an allegation, but I feel that the BJP has created an atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh and across the country that has weakened the mutual trust that once existed among people,” he said.
During his interaction with the media, Khan also spoke about the Samajwadi Party’s organisational strategy. He said the party intends to strengthen its presence in areas where the minority population is relatively low and the Hindu population is larger.
He noted that party workers would need to engage more actively with voters in such regions and communicate the party’s message through direct outreach and public interaction.
The BJP strongly criticised Khan’s remarks, calling them divisive and inappropriate.
Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said: “This is a matter that requires serious attention. If someone is calling the majority society of the country ‘poison’, then it is they who are trying to spread poison and create division. Even now, they are not learning any lessons. Mamata Banerjee used to use similar language, and today her party is facing serious challenges in West Bengal. I believe that in the coming days, people in Uttar Pradesh will also teach a lesson to those making such statements, whether it is AIMIM, the Samajwadi Party or others using this kind of rhetoric.”
Union Minister Giriraj Singh also criticised Khan’s remarks, saying: “Whether it is Javed Ali or Akhilesh Yadav, their statement that Hindus have become ‘poisonous’ is wrong. Hindus are seen as ‘poisonous’ only by those who have become extremists or are anti-national. They appear ‘poisonous’ to those who talk about dividing the country from religious places.”
Singh further alleged that Khan was making such statements with the backing of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
“Javed Ali is making such statements with the backing of Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav will have to face the consequences of this in the elections. He should clarify whether this statement was made with his support. If he does not contradict it, people will respond accordingly,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Yogendra Upadhyay also reacted to the controversy, saying: “Those who have poison within them will spit poison, and those who have nectar within them will spread nectar.”
Congress MP Imran Masood also disagreed with Khan’s choice of words.
“This is very wrong terminology. If the majority community were not secular in large numbers, the very social fabric of the country would be disturbed. You cannot make such a statement because of the actions of a few people. It is wrong,” he said.
–IANS
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