People who visited Muzaffarnagar for 'secular tourism' have insulted riots victims: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday strongly defended party general secretary Amit Shah's 'apmaan ka badla lenge' remark, saying that both the Uttar Pradesh Government and those who had visited Muzaffarnagar for 'secular tourism' had insulted the riots victims.

"The Uttar Pradesh Government has insulted people. People who had gone for their 'secular tourism' have insulted people. It is not the question whether a person is Hindu or Muslim. It is about rubbing salt instead of medicine on the backs of those who suffered in those riots," said BJP spokesmen Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

"Then they said that the people living in camps are not the victims of the riots and that they are the supporters of political parties. This is nothing but an insult to the people. Therefore this insult has to be paid back," Naqvi added.

On Friday, Amit Shah met leaders of three communities - Gurjjars, Rajputs and Dalits - at a farmhouse in Muzaffarnagar's Gandhi Colony and had apparently spoke of revenge.

"A man can live without food or sleep. He can live when he's thirsty and hungry. But when he's insulted, he can't live. We must seek revenge for the insult heaped on us," he said.

He did the same thing a day before on Thursday while he met leaders of the Jat community at Raajhar village, 40 km from Muzzaffarnagar and delivered a similar vengeful remark.

"This election is about voting out the government that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Jats. It is about revenge and protecting honour," Shah said.