Kashmiri Pandits’ plight ignored, used for political gains: BJP leader

BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal on Sunday accused his own party of exploiting the Kashmiri Pandit community for alleged political gains.

The leader urged the senior leadership of the party to take "decisive and meaningful steps" to address the "longstanding injustice" faced by the community.

Sirwal had joined BJP after quitting Congress in April last year. "This community (Kashmiri Pandits) is among the most steadfast, yet unpaid, unrecognised, and unacknowledged campaigners for the BJP. Their suffering has been referenced over 500 times in Parliament by the BJP leadership for political gains and used as a tool against every political adversary," said Sirwal.

“I call upon the party leadership to take decisive and meaningful steps to address the longstanding injustice (with the Kashmiri Pandit community). They deserve more than symbolic gestures or repeated mentions in parliamentary debates,” he added.

Earlier, on October 3, Sirwal had threatened to resign from the party, citing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “unacceptable” remarks against Muslims and what he termed the state police’s “vindictive” attitude towards the minority community.

Sirwal said the BJP must prioritise policies ensuring the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland, restoration of their rights and provision of security and opportunities long denied to them. “They deserve tangible action, starting with visits by senior leaders to their camps to witness their struggles firsthand, followed by inclusive consultations with community representatives, including the few party members among them, to develop a comprehensive roadmap for their dignified rehabilitation,” he said.

He added that it was “deeply unfortunate” that not even once had the top leadership, including the Prime Minister or Home Minister, visited their camps to witness the deplorable conditions they endured.

Sirwal said the camps lacked proper housing, healthcare and opportunities for social and economic reintegration, reflecting “a failure to address a humanitarian crisis” persisting for over three decades. Calling the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits a “profound human tragedy”, he said it was not merely an economic issue. “Families were torn from their homes, their cultural and spiritual heritage was uprooted and they were forced to live in exile within their own nation, enduring decades of hardship in camps marked by inadequate facilities and neglect,” he said.

He decried the absence of “meaningful deliberation” with the community, saying their plight was repeatedly invoked for electoral advantage. “This lack of engagement stands in stark contrast to the frequent invocation of their plight in political rhetoric, which has often served as a tool for electoral advantage rather than a call for genuine action,” he alleged.

“This neglect is not only a disservice to a community that has stood by the party through immense hardship but also undermines the principles of justice, inclusivity, and compassion that the BJP claims to uphold,” Sirwal said.

He added, “The BJP has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to all communities by addressing the legitimate pleas of the Kashmiri Pandits with the seriousness and urgency they deserve. I remain hopeful that the party will rise to this moment, moving beyond rhetoric to deliver justice and dignity to a community that has suffered in silence for far too long.”