BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal has launched a strong criticism against his own party, accusing it of exploiting the suffering of displaced Kashmiri Pandits for political advantage without taking real steps to improve their conditions. In a statement issued on Sunday, Sirwal, who joined the BJP in April last year after leaving the Congress, urged the party’s leadership to take “meaningful and decisive action” to correct what he called a “longstanding injustice” to the community.
“The Kashmiri Pandit community has been among the most steadfast yet unrewarded and unacknowledged supporters of the BJP. Their tragedy has been cited over 500 times in Parliament to score political points and attack opponents,” Sirwal said. He added that repeated references to their suffering in speeches and debates have brought “symbolic sympathy but no substantive change.”
Sirwal called on senior BJP leaders to initiate concrete steps for the safe and dignified rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. “They deserve more than hollow mentions in political discourse. The leadership must ensure their secure return, restoration of rights, and access to opportunities long denied,” he said. He also urged party leaders to visit the refugee camps to “see firsthand the dire living conditions” and hold inclusive consultations with community representatives to formulate a roadmap for their reintegration.
He criticised the party’s top brass, including the Prime Minister and Home Minister, for never visiting the camps. “It is deeply unfortunate that not once has the senior leadership seen the deplorable conditions in which these families live. Their camps still lack proper housing, healthcare, and economic opportunities, reflecting a continuing humanitarian failure that has lasted more than three decades,” Sirwal said.
Calling the 1990s exodus of Kashmiri Pandits a “profound human tragedy,” he said it cannot be reduced to an economic issue. “Families were torn from their homes, their cultural and spiritual roots were severed, and they were forced into exile within their own country. The neglect of their condition is a moral and national failure,” he said.
Sirwal accused the party of ignoring direct dialogue with the community, saying the absence of “meaningful engagement” reveals a gap between the BJP’s rhetoric and its actions. “The party has invoked their pain repeatedly during elections, but done little to alleviate it. This approach undermines the principles of justice and inclusivity that the BJP professes to uphold,” he added.
Sirwal’s statement follows his earlier threat to resign from the BJP on October 3, when he criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for what he termed “unacceptable” remarks against Muslims, as well as the “vindictive attitude” of state police towards the minority community.
Ending his statement on a note of appeal, Sirwal said the BJP still has a chance to correct its course. “The party must rise above rhetoric and act decisively to deliver justice and dignity to the Kashmiri Pandits who have stood by it for decades. I remain hopeful that the leadership will choose empathy over expedience and turn words into meaningful action.”
