By Online Desk
The BJP held protests across the country condemning Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This comes after Bhutto traded barbs with India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishakar over terrorism at the United Nations. Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be a good neighbour” and called it the “epicentre of terrorism.” Responding to Jaishankar, Bilawal said, “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India.”
Modi was the chief minister of the state of Gujarat when sectarian riots in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence, and until his election was denied entry to the US.
Uttar Pradesh
BJP workers burnt an effigy of Bhutto and staged a protest march from the BJP office to Atal Chowk in Lucknow. On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.
BJP workers protest and burn effigies of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his remarks against PM Narendra Modi, in Lucknow, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
“Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj) and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,” party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI. Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto is not a ‘videsh mantri’ (foreign minister), he is a ‘vidwesh mantri’ (hostility minister).”
Gujarat
Protests were held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Botad, Mahisagar, Junagadh and many other places. BJP activists raised slogans against Bhutto and also burnt his effigies in some places.
In Gandhinagar, a delegation led by state BJP’s Yuva Morcha president Prashant Korat submitted a memorandum criticising Pakistan and the minister to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan.
A large number of party workers and leaders gathered at the Zilla Panchayat Chowk in Rajkot and shouted slogans against Bilawal Bhutto and demanded that he should apologise for his statement on PM Modi.
BJP workers shout slogans during a protest against Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ahmedabad, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil dubbed Pakistan a ‘beggar’ and said Bhutto’s remarks on PM Modi have attracted criticism from the entire world.
“Entire country is angry over Bhutto’s vile and shameful remarks about PM Modi. Pakistan is no less than a beggar. Its economy is so weak that Pakistan is forced to sell their assets, even its donkeys, to keep running the country. Pakistan needs to focus on their own condition before commenting on others. The entire world knows the misdeeds of the Bhutto family” said Paatil.
Maharashtra
Protests began in Pune and Mumbai simultaneously on Saturday morning with hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathering at major junctions with placards in their hands. They also burnt the effigies of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister while shouting slogans against them.
BJP leaders stage a protest against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Mantralaya, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, in Mumbai, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule led the protest in Pune, and said, “The party is holding a nationwide protest against the derogatory remarks made by Bilawal against PM Modiji. We strongly condemn his remarks.”
Similarly, in Mumbai, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathered at various places and held demonstrations. They even played songs criticizing the Pakistan government and its foreign minister.
Jammu and Kashmir
BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest from the party’s office in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar area raising slogans against Bhutto and demanding an apology from him. The party works also burnt effigies of Bhutto and Pakistan.
“This march is part of the country-wide protests by the BJP against Bhutto’s shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state,” the party’s Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters.
BJP leaders burn an effigy of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a protest in Srinagar, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
(With inputs from PTI, ANI, AFP)
The BJP held protests across the country condemning Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This comes after Bhutto traded barbs with India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishakar over terrorism at the United Nations. Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be a good neighbour” and called it the “epicentre of terrorism.” Responding to Jaishankar, Bilawal said, “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India.”
Modi was the chief minister of the state of Gujarat when sectarian riots in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence, and until his election was denied entry to the US.
Uttar Pradesh
BJP workers burnt an effigy of Bhutto and staged a protest march from the BJP office to Atal Chowk in Lucknow. On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.
BJP workers protest and burn effigies of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his remarks against PM Narendra Modi, in Lucknow, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
“Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj) and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,” party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI. Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto is not a ‘videsh mantri’ (foreign minister), he is a ‘vidwesh mantri’ (hostility minister).”
Gujarat
Protests were held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Botad, Mahisagar, Junagadh and many other places. BJP activists raised slogans against Bhutto and also burnt his effigies in some places.
In Gandhinagar, a delegation led by state BJP’s Yuva Morcha president Prashant Korat submitted a memorandum criticising Pakistan and the minister to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan.
A large number of party workers and leaders gathered at the Zilla Panchayat Chowk in Rajkot and shouted slogans against Bilawal Bhutto and demanded that he should apologise for his statement on PM Modi.
BJP workers shout slogans during a protest against Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ahmedabad, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil dubbed Pakistan a ‘beggar’ and said Bhutto’s remarks on PM Modi have attracted criticism from the entire world.
“Entire country is angry over Bhutto’s vile and shameful remarks about PM Modi. Pakistan is no less than a beggar. Its economy is so weak that Pakistan is forced to sell their assets, even its donkeys, to keep running the country. Pakistan needs to focus on their own condition before commenting on others. The entire world knows the misdeeds of the Bhutto family” said Paatil.
Maharashtra
Protests began in Pune and Mumbai simultaneously on Saturday morning with hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathering at major junctions with placards in their hands. They also burnt the effigies of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister while shouting slogans against them.
BJP leaders stage a protest against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Mantralaya, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, in Mumbai, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule led the protest in Pune, and said, “The party is holding a nationwide protest against the derogatory remarks made by Bilawal against PM Modiji. We strongly condemn his remarks.”
Similarly, in Mumbai, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathered at various places and held demonstrations. They even played songs criticizing the Pakistan government and its foreign minister.
Jammu and Kashmir
BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest from the party’s office in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar area raising slogans against Bhutto and demanding an apology from him. The party works also burnt effigies of Bhutto and Pakistan.
“This march is part of the country-wide protests by the BJP against Bhutto’s shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state,” the party’s Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters.
BJP leaders burn an effigy of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a protest in Srinagar, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)
(With inputs from PTI, ANI, AFP)
