As if the recent spate of ‘unfortunate events’ unfolded in the country were not enough, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Satyapal Singh has raked up a fresh controversy with his latest remarks on Dadri incident.

Singh termed Dadri lynching, in which a 50-year-old Muslim man Muhammad Akhlaq was beaten to death for allegedly eating and storing beef, a ‘small’ incident.

“As far as a small incident like Dadri is concerned, our country’s democratic atmosphere is fully competent to handle. Our country is full competent to handle such incidents,” India Today quoted Singh as having told CNN-IBN.

Singh’s remark not only kicked up a fresh row, but invited sharp criticism from the opposition parties.

Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar sharply reacted to Singh’s remarks saying it is a reflection of what the BJP was trying to do. “I am absolutely dismayed at the remarks of the BJP MP, who was also a former Police Commissioner of Mumbai,” he said, alleging that such remarks reflect the ‘strategy’ of BJP to ‘usurp’ power by ‘polarising’ communities.

SP leader Rajiv Rai demanded an apology from the BJP. “They should apologise. I am disgusted that this statement comes from an MP, who was a former police commissioner,” he said.

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