Ramesh Bidhuri Faces Backlash Over Anti Muslim Remarks at BJP Gen Z Summit

Senior BJP leader and former Member of Parliament Ramesh Bidhuri has come under criticism after making remarks that many have described as anti Muslim during the BJP’s Gen Z Summit in Delhi on Monday.

Speaking about the recent protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET paper leak, Bidhuri claimed that the gathering included more tyre puncture repair workers and locksmiths than students. He referred to “puncture repairers” and “lock makers” while suggesting that many of those present were not genuine student protesters.

He also questioned the slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the demonstration. Bidhuri said that the young people using abusive language against the Prime Minister and his family could not be the sons and daughters of India, adding that they were instead the children of “puncture repairers.”

The expression “puncture wala” has increasingly been criticised as a derogatory term used by some Hindutva leaders to stereotype Muslims by linking them to certain occupations such as tyre and cycle repair. Similarly, references to locksmiths are also viewed by critics as reinforcing occupational stereotypes associated with the Muslim community.

Bidhuri’s comments came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the same protest in a video message. While expressing sadness over abusive remarks directed at him and his late mother, Modi appealed to the public to forgive what he called “misguided children” and encouraged people to guide them instead of seeking punishment.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Modi also faced criticism for using a similar reference during a rally in Hisar, Haryana. While speaking about the Waqf Amendment Act, he said that Muslim youth would not have needed to earn a living by repairing bicycle punctures if Waqf properties had been managed honestly. Opposition leaders and several civil society groups criticised the statement, calling it insensitive and divisive.

This is not the first time Bidhuri has been at the centre of controversy. In 2023, he was widely condemned for making Islamophobic remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali during a Lok Sabha session. The comments were later removed from the parliamentary record, the BJP issued him a show cause notice, and the matter was referred to Parliament’s Privileges Committee.

Bidhuri also drew criticism in 2020 when he claimed that greeting people with “Namaskar” was safer than saying “Adaab” or “Assalamu Alaikum” during the Covid 19 pandemic, arguing that the latter involved opening the mouth and could increase the risk of spreading the virus.