JAIPUR: A leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sparked controversy after a video showed him taking back blankets from Muslim women during a charity event in Rajasthan.
The incident reportedly occurred in Tonk district during a blanket distribution drive organised by former BJP Member of Parliament Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria.
The event was aimed at providing relief to underprivileged people amid cold weather, with women from various communities gathering to receive aid.
In the viral video circulating on social media, Jaunapuria is seen personally handing out blankets and asking recipients their names. When one woman identified herself as Sukaran Khan, he reacted by asking her to step aside and leave the blanket behind.
He is heard in the clip saying, “Step aside, leave the blanket here,” and adding that those who abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not deserve a blanket. He also reportedly instructed his aide not to distribute blankets to certain women.
Eyewitnesses and affected women, including elderly individuals said that some Muslim women initially received blankets but had them taken back after their religious identity was revealed through their names.
They described the incident as humiliating and said they felt insulted during what was meant to be a charitable effort.