"They remember Purvanchalis only for votes": AAP slams BJP over Jaffarpur shooting incident

New Delhi [India], May 1 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday held the BJP's politics of "hatred" responsible for the shooting of a youth in Delhi's Jaffarpur, stating he was targeted for being from Bihar.
Senior leader Mahabal Mishra said this hostility has now seeped into state institutions, with Biharis and Purvanchalis increasingly coming under attack.
Referring to the April 25 incident in which a policeman shot the youth after identifying him as Bihari, the AAP leader said it reflects years of rhetoric that has branded migrants as "dirty" and obstructive to development. He further demanded strict action against the perpetrator, along with a job for one family member and Rs 1 crore in compensation.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Thursday, senior AAP leader Mahabal Mishra said, "The incident that took place on the night of April 25 in Jaffarpur was extremely tragic. The use of the term Bihari to generate hatred before opening fire is deeply disturbing."
He highlighted that in the incident, a boy named Pandav died, while another youth named Shankar is in critical condition and admitted to Deen Dayal Hospital.
Mahabal Mishra said that such hatred earlier existed in society, but is now visible within the administration as well, and said, "Administrative officials, meant to be protectors, have become aggressors. Instead of asking names, they ask where a person is from, and upon hearing Bihar, open fire. Such hatred in society is highly condemnable."
Mahabal Mishra said this hatred has been created by the BJP. He recalled that BJP leaders, including former mayors, have said that people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have unhygienic lifestyles and spoil the environment of the capital, and therefore should be prevented from coming to Delhi.
"Vijay Goel had filed a petition in the High Court seeking to prevent students from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from getting admission to Delhi University. In 2014, Vijay Goel had said in the Rajya Sabha that around six lakh people from Purvanchal come to Delhi every year and that their arrival hampers development, and therefore restrictions should be imposed," he said.
The senior AAP leader further said that the hatred spread by the BJP from the beginning has now reached administrative officers, turning protectors into aggressors. "People from Purvanchal have significantly contributed to strengthening Delhi through their labour. They have not only come as IAS, IPS officers, journalists, or leaders, but have also contributed through hard labour in building the city," he noted.
Mahabal Mishra continued, "Today, the same people are being shot with accusations that they have looted the city and built homes here." He said that when migrants were settling in Delhi, BJP leaders had filed cases claiming it would harm the city. In 2006, when sealing laws came into effect and factories and houses were shut, around 2.7 million Biharis were forced to leave Delhi. He said this reflects a long-standing pattern of spreading hatred, which has now reached administrative officials.
Mahabal Mishra demanded that the BJP ensure such incidents do not recur, and stated, "Immediate and strict action should be taken against the accused police officer. The victim's family lives in a rented house, and Pandav was the sole breadwinner, earning a livelihood by riding a motorcycle and doing odd jobs. With his death, the family has no earning member. The father had two sons, one of whom, Pandav, has died, while the other suffers from tuberculosis and cannot support the family."
"The parents also work as labourers. This has caused immense loss to the family. AAP demands that one family member be given a job and Rs 1 crore compensation to help them recover. The government, police department, and administrative officials must be sensitised to prevent such incidents in the future," he asserted.
He added that officials should refrain from using such objectionable terms. "Delhi does not belong to any one individual or party; it belongs to the entire country. People from across India come and settle here, and most residents are originally from outside Delhi. Migrants have played a major role in strengthening the city," he noted.
He questioned how long BJP leaders will continue to insult Purvanchalis by calling them Bihari or Purabiya, and reiterated that strict action must be taken and immediate relief provided to the family.
Mahabal Mishra said that the incident occurred on April 25, and four days have passed, but the local BJP MP and MLA visited the family only a day earlier.
He said he himself had been in Patna for two days, but upon learning of the incident, he, Vinay Mishra, Sanjeev Jha, and local representatives Pooja Balyan and Deepak Bora immediately reached the spot.
Despite being away, they rushed back, whereas BJP leaders visited only after AAP's visit on Wednesday. "If BJP leaders truly cared about Purvanchalis, they would have reached the family on the same night or the next morning," he said.
Mahabal Mishra further said that since the BJP came to power at the Centre, this hatred has continued to grow. "Even in 1993, when the BJP was in power in Delhi, similar hatred was spread. In recent times, slum dwellers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other states have been labelled as Rohingya or Bangladeshi and their homes demolished," he said.
"Even after so many years, the same pattern of demolitions and displacement continues. He asked how long this hatred will persist and urged the BJP to stop spreading hatred and instead foster harmony, which would strengthen the country," he concluded.
Meanwhile, AAP's Delhi Purvanchal wing president Akhilesh Pati Tripathi said that the shooting in Jaffarpur village at around 2:30 am on April 25, after asking the victim's place of origin, amounts to a state-sponsored killing. "Such hatred in the mind of a police officer towards Purvanchal residents reflects the policies of the BJP's four-engine government in Delhi," he said.
He said that Vijay Goel's earlier remarks about Purvanchalis dirtying Delhi reflect this anti-Purvanchal mindset, which has now entered institutions. "The fact that a person was shot after being identified as from Bihar shows how deeply this hatred has spread," he said, and noted that the incident deserves the strongest condemnation.
Akhilesh Pati Tripathi added that another victim, Krishna, remains injured. "AAP will not tolerate such insult toward people from Purvanchal and Bihar. BJP leaders had promised to uplift Purvanchalis but, after coming to power, have demolished the maximum number of slums, displaced people, and destroyed livelihoods of street vendors," he said.
He warned that if such incidents recur, people from Purvanchal will take to the streets, and said, "Despite one death and another critically injured, the Chief Minister has not yet visited the family, which reflects her mindset toward Purvanchalis." He demanded strict action against the accused, a government job for one family member, and ₹1 crore compensation, adding that AAP will protest if relief is not provided.
Former AAP MLA Vinay Mishra said that the BJP's so-called love for Purvanchal stands exposed, and said, "Four days after the incident, no government representative had reached the family." He said BJP leaders harbour hatred toward Purvanchalis.
Vinay Mishra pointed out that while the BJP's transport minister is from Bihar, his image is absent from Delhi Transport Corporation buses, which only display the Chief Minister's photo. He also criticised the condition of the Yamuna during Chhath, alleging that sentiments and faith were disrespected by forcing people into polluted waters.
Vinay Mishra said, "BJP's deception toward Bihar is evident; it remembers them only for votes. If their numbers were fewer, they would have been driven out of Delhi. This hatred is not new but part of a long-standing pattern that has now influenced officials as well."
He demanded that the BJP provide compensation, sensitise officials, and train them to understand India's diversity. "Delhi, as the capital, belongs to people from all states, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and Punjab to West Bengal," he asserted.
He said harmony should be fostered, but the BJP has turned this diversity into division for votes, and said, "This is harmful for the future." He urged the Chief Minister to personally visit the family, offer support, and ensure compensation, employment, and housing assistance.
Vinay Mishra added that AAP leaders are reaching out to the family and providing financial help. He concluded by stating, "As a member of AAP and as someone from Bihar, he thanks all party leaders who are meeting the family and supporting them financially."
A 21-year-old delivery executive was killed and his friend injured after a man allegedly opened fire following an argument in Delhi's Jaffarpur Kalan area in the early hours of Saturday.