New Delhi: The AAP on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb for his comments against Sikh and Jat community members.
Deb had stirred a controversy by saying Punjabis and Jats are physically strong but less brainy, while Bengalis are known to be very intelligent. He later apologised for his comments.
The Delhi Assembly's Committee for Peace and Harmony, chaired by AAP MLA and Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Raghav Chadha, held a meeting after it received complaints from members of Sikh and Jat communities against the remarks made by the Tripura CM.
In an official statement, Chadha said the committee found the Tripura chief minister's comments "inflammatory". He said the committee will redress the grievances and conclude its findings in a detailed and comprehensive report.
"The statements by the Tripura CM are inflammatory and unacceptable by any set of community standards," Chadha was quoted as saying in the statement.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Kailash Gahlot and Jarnail Singh also condemned the "regressive statement" and demanded Deb's immediate resignation. They also demanded an apology from the BJP over the comments.
No immediate reaction, however, was available from the BJP.
Both the communities are hurt by such a statement coming from a sitting chief minister of a state, Gahlot said.
"As a representative of the Jat community, I want to make it clear that we condemn such a regressive statement. Before the election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) goes to every house and asks for votes from both Punjabi Sikhs and Jats. But after the election, they make such a regressive statement".
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"On behalf of the AAP, I demand immediate resignation of Biplab Deb. I want to ask the BJP whether they have sent any notice to him or taken any action. If they have not done anything that will mean that the BJP agrees with such regressive thought. The Jat community will not tolerate such disrespect," the Delhi transport minister said.
AAP MLA Jarnail Singh also hit out at Deb's remarks.
"Not only in India, the Sikh and the Jat communities across the world are very angry with Debs statement. The communities have made a mark for themselves across the world."
"The AAP demands that BJP president should apologise to the people of India for this comment of Deb, and the Tripura CM should immediately resign," Singh said.
He added that the remarks expose the "real mindset" of the BJP.
"The BJP believes in the politics of polarisation based on caste, class, religion, region and others," Singh added.
PTI
