CPIM wrote to President Draupadi Murmu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking action against Alok Sharma, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bhopal, over his allegedly communal remarks. File. Photo: Instagram/aloksharmaofficial
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) wrote to President Draupadi Murmu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking action against Alok Sharma, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bhopal, over his allegedly communal remarks.
The letter, written by CPI (M) State secretary Jaswinder Singh, accuses Mr. Sharma of using “derogatory slurs” against the Muslim community in his recent statements, and demands that his Parliament membership be dissolved and an inquiry be launched against him.
Earlier this month, Mr. Sharma stirred a controversy by claiming that he was compiling a list of gyms employing Muslim trainers in the city, as he accused them of being involved in “love jihad”.
Claims of ‘love jihad’
“There are many gyms in Bhopal and we are also preparing a list where the trainers are allegedly Muslims. There should be women trainers too. We are making a list and will be submitting it to the police. The police will do their work, the law will do its job. In Madhya Pradesh, there is Dr. Mohan Yadav’s government and no one has the permission to indulge in love jihad or land jihad. The law will take stringent action against such people,” Mr. Sharma had said, speaking to reporters.
Mr. Sharma has also referred to the Muslim community using derogatory terms such as ‘beard-topi’ and claimed that the growing Muslim population in Bhopal is a threat to the Hindu community, according to Mr. Singh’s letter.
Mr. Sharma’s comments had come after Bajrang Dal members had visited gyms across the city looking for trainers from the Muslim community. They even gave a complaint to the local police, claiming that these trainers were indulging in “love jihad”. The controversy originally erupted following the arrest of an Indore shooting coach, Mohsin Khan, accused of raping and molesting a minor girl.
Violating Constitution
In his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. Singh claimed that Mr. Sharma’s remarks violate Articles 15 and 21 of the Constitution, and disturb social harmony.
Mr. Sharma, however, denied the charges that his remarks were communally charged and said that he only advocated for police verification of gym trainers.
“People come to us with their problems and such cases of men hiding their real identities have come to light in Bhopal, Indore and other cities. What if the person has hidden a criminal record to get the job? Girls have also taken their lives due to these incidents,” he said, speaking to The Hindu.
“I also said that criminals don’t belong to any particular community and I stand by my statement. I will also raise the issue in the Lok Sabha soon,” Mr. Sharma added.
Meanwhile, local activist and advocate Deepak Bundele, who helped draft the complaint, said that they are also considering approaching the Supreme Court if no action is taken against Mr. Sharma soon.
Mr. Sharma is a former Mayor of Bhopal and is believed to be a close aide of Union Minister and former State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Published – June 18, 2025 11:10 pm IST
