At a workshop for its North Indian workers, saffron party gave them pamphlets with details on police, crime, penalty and so on, raising questions on why they were singled out
At a workshop for its North Indian workers, saffron party gave them pamphlets with details on police, crime, penalty and so on, raising questions on why they were singled out
The BJP's electioneering before the BMC and UP elections due next year is turning out to be innovative, not to mention bemusing, for a lot of us.
A couple of days after the party wanted actor Katrina Kaif to go campaigning for it, a meeting last Sunday at its Dadar office, allegedly to brief its workers on the election strategy, left many incredulous.
The BJP Mumbai unit's Uttar Bhartiya Morcha had organised a workshop for over 500 prominent workers of the party's North Indian wing.
Its supposed objective was to prepare them for the forthcoming elections. However, the literature handed out at the workshop makes that a little hard to swallow.
Police info
The pamphlets given to the workers said nothing of the elections. They spoke, instead, of the Mumbai police force, the number of policemen it has, the sections that deal with various crimes and accompanying penalties, which offences are bailable and so on.
Its leaders maintain it was a purely political meeting where they wanted to bring their workers up to date with the party strategy prior to the civic polls. But why would any political party distribute to their workers detailed notes that belong in a class in criminology? To educate, say party leaders.
"It was not given because the workshop was for North Indians," said BJP Mumbai unit president Raj Purohit. "We want our men to be aware of how the law enforcement system works. Things like how women can't be arrested at night and so on. With this information, they can be of help to others."
Incidentally, the main speakers at the event were mostly from the country's north, which included Uttar Pradesh BJP president Surya Pratap Shahi.
Purohit maintains that the party has been giving such booklets in every workshop. But at another seminar for party office bearers from the city the same day at the same place, the hand-outs did not contain the booklet.
Nitin Sardesai, MNS MLA and spokesperson, said, "I am surprised why they would do such a thing. Only the BJP can explain this."
RU Singh, vice-president, BJP Mumbai, and a senior party leader from North India, said, "We had other issues to discuss related to the BMC election.
But the corresponding booklet wasn't ready. Since the one with the police information was ready, we distributed them. The workers noted down the rest of the discussion."
500
No of workers that attended the workshop
Criminal content
The following Sections of the IPC and the penalty they impose, were part of the literature handed out at the BJP workshop:
Unlawful assembly: Section 143, six months and more in jail
Rioting: Section 147, 2 years or more
Rioting with weapons: Section 148, 3 years or more
Abortion: section 312, 3 years or more
Molestation: Section 354, 2 years or more
Kidnapping: Section 365, 7 years or more
Rape: Section 376, life sentence or 10 years in prisonu00a0
Theft: Section 379, 3 years or more
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