Veteran BJP leader Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, age 74, from Ladakh was expelled due to his son’s elopement and subsequent marriage to a Buddhist woman, the Bhartiya Janata Party in Ladakh took a drastic move by exiling him. Within the region, he worked as a vice president.
The Controversy started when Ahmad’s son married a Buddhist woman after eloping with her more than a month earlier. The Ladakh BJP conducted an integral investigation after the incident to determine Ahmad’s role in the delicate scenario.
BJP’s stand on the incident
The Ladakh unit of the BJP confirmed in a statement that the expulsion decision was made during an executive meeting of the party. Elopement is considered unsuitable by the Ladakh region sects, the party emphasized, as it jeopardizes the peace and unity of the local population.
The BJP party said that because of his apparent role in his son’s elopement, action was taken against him. “The state president called a meeting, and executive members were there. Given enough time, Sh. Nazir Ahmed, State Vice president of the BJP in Ladakh, was given a chance to explain his role in the delicate matter of a Buddhist woman’s elopement by his son, Manzoor Ahmed”, according to the officials.
The BJP also stated that this incident should be broadcasted widely. Apart from prominent figures like Tarun Chugh ( National General Secretary), Ashok Koul ( General Secretary, J&K & Ladakh), and Jamyang Namgyal (MP Ladakh), the official handout regarding the expulsion is directed to All India Radio/ Doordarshan Leh “ for telecast in local news bulletin”.
The couple has been missing since their wedding which took place more than a month ago. His alleged lack of cooperation in helping authorities find his son and woman is what prompted the BJP to take action against Nazir Ahmad.
Ladakh BJP leader Sheikh Nazir Ahmad’s point of view
Long-time BJP supporter Nazir Ahmad voiced his opinion on the subject. He clarified that he and his family were opposed to his 39-year-old son, Mansoor Ahmad, getting married to a 35- year-old Buddhist woman.
Sheikh Nazir Ahmad claimed that he had no involvement in the incident and that party’s assertions were unfounded in a phone conversation with The Wire. “ This is an unfounded accusation. We are concerned since we had planned a marriage with my sister-in-law’s daughter. After he left the house, my wife passed out a couple of times, “Ahmed claimed.
“I was made to pay for a wrong that my son did. What did I do wrong? Do the kids tell their parents when they disobey their parents’ wishes? Instead of expelling me, they ought to have removed me from the position.
He claimed that he had been urged to find his son by the BJP leaders in Ladakh. “ I told them that I was doing everything possible to find him, but they insisted that I resign,” I informed them that I was a founding member of the BJP in Ladakh and would not resign. The people who removed me are my juniors, he claimed
He disclosed that the court marriage occurred while he was away performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Their relationship had already passed a nikah ceremony in 2011.
Ahmad claimed that his family did not support the union and also disclosed that they were looking for his son. He clarified that, prior to his expulsion, the party had requested that he quit because of his failure to find his son. Despite the Party’s accusations against him, Ahmad voiced uncertainty about them. He claimed to have searched extensively for his son; he visited Srinagar and many other locations as well but couldn’t find his son.
