Doda, August 29, 2024 — As election campaigns intensify in the Doda East Assembly constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, a viral video has sparked widespread controversy and raised serious concerns about communal harmony in the region. The 39-second clip, which has been circulating on social media, features Gajay Singh Rana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Doda’s 52 Assembly constituency, allegedly making inflammatory remarks about the ongoing struggle being a “Hindu-Muslim fight.”
In the video, Rana is heard stating that the current conflict is not a battle against terrorism but rather a direct confrontation between Hindus and Muslims. He further suggests that in the violent incidents in Doda, such as the Chapnari, Kamlari, Barshalla, and Sarthal massacres, it was the Hindu community that was targeted by members of the Muslim community. These remarks have ignited a firestorm of criticism and a formal complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The video, which bears the watermark of a local social media page “JK Darshan,” shows Rana speaking in the presence of BJP leader and District Development Council Chairman Dhananter Singh. The clip, though short, has been widely shared, prompting calls for immediate action against Rana.
A complaint, circulating alongside the video on WhatsApp, demands the disqualification of Rana from the election. The unnamed complainant accuses Rana of violating the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by promoting enmity between religious communities. The complaint highlights specific sections of the law that penalize the use of religion to influence voters and promote communal hatred, urging the ECI to disqualify Rana and register an FIR against him.
In his defense, Gajay Singh Rana has claimed that the viral video is “tampered with” and taken out of context. According to a report by The Indian Express, Rana clarified that the video is over two months old and was recorded during a speech at Shaheedi Sthal in Chapnari, commemorating the 1998 massacre where 26 Hindus were killed by militants. The BJP candidate insisted that his remarks were not communal but were instead focused on the tragic history of militant violence in the region.
To provide further context, The Chenab Times investigated the origins of the video and discovered that the full video, lasting 5 minutes and 52 seconds, was published on the “JK Darshan” Facebook page. The video, posted on June 19, 2024, was titled “Secularism ko dho dala – Sanatan Dharam Sabha Pradhan Gajay Singh Rana spoke on Chapnari Massacre,” a clear reference to the historical event where militants targeted a Hindu wedding procession.
The controversy has not gone unnoticed by political rivals. The National Conference has lodged a formal complaint with the ECI, arguing that Rana’s remarks are not only factually incorrect but are also intended to incite communal unrest. They have warned that such rhetoric could lead to violence in an already sensitive region, jeopardizing public order and peace.
The Doda East Assembly constituency is a newly carved seat in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and Rana, who also serves as the president of the Sanatan Dharam Sabha in Doda, is one of the 11 candidates contesting in this high-stakes election. The stakes are particularly high given the region’s history of communal violence, with memories of past massacres still fresh in the minds of the electorate.
The controversy surrounding Gajay Singh Rana’s remarks comes in the broader context of rising hate speech incidents across India, particularly targeting the Muslim community. A September 2023 report by Hindutva Watch and India Hate Lab documented over 255 incidents of hate speech aimed at Muslims, noting that 80 percent of these events occurred in states governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Furthermore, the report highlighted that approximately 70 percent of these incidents took place in states scheduled to hold elections in 2023 and 2024, with most of the hate speech promoting conspiracy theories and calling for violence and socioeconomic boycotts against Muslims. This context adds a significant layer of concern regarding Rana’s comments, raising fears about the potential escalation of communal tensions in Doda and beyond as election season progresses.
As the ECI deliberates on the complaint and the video continues to circulate online, the incident has brought the issue of communal politics to the forefront of the election campaign. With polling day approaching, the controversy surrounding Rana’s remarks could have significant implications for the BJP’s prospects in the region and the broader political climate in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
