BJP’s Amit Malviya accused Congress MP Imran Masood of comparing Bhagat Singh with Hamas during the Bihar poll campaign.
Malviya said the remark insulted Bihar, highlighting Bhagat Singh’s close ties with revolutionaries from the state.
Masood clarified he never equated the two and that Bhagat Singh’s ideology “cannot be compared to anyone.”
The BJP accused Congress MP Imran Masood of "insulting" the people of Bihar, with whom Bhagat Singh had a "deep connection," after he sparked a scandal on Friday by drawing comparisons between Bhagat Singh and Hamas.
But following the BJP attack, Masood later maintained that Bhagat Singh was 'Shaheed-E-Azam' and could not be compared to anyone, and that he never made any comparisons.
Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT department, accused Masood of using the analogy between Bhagat Singh and Hamas as part of a calculated campaign ahead of the two-phase November 6–11 Bihar Assembly elections.
In an interview shared by Malviya on his X handle, Masood compared Bhagat Singh with Hamas, saying both were the same as they were fighting for their land.
"Comparing Bhagat Singh to the terrorist organisation Hamas by Congress MP Imran Masood during the Bihar elections is part of a well-planned strategy. This is an insult to the people of Bihar. Bhagat Singh had a deep connection with Bihar," Malviya alleged in a post on X.
He asserted that his friend, Batukeshwar Dutt, was from Bihar and was involved in the bombing event at the Central Assembly. He also claimed that revolutionaries like Yogendra Shukla from Vaishali, who were imprisoned alongside him, continued his views.
"Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary ideas inspired countless youths in Bihar — from student movements to leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, who carried forward the torch of rebellion. Bihar may not have been the land of Bhagat Singh’s actions, but it has certainly been the birthplace of his ideas," Malviya said.
"Rahul Gandhi should clarify whether Imran Masood will apologise for this audacity, or will Muslim appeasement once again dominate politics?" he asked.
Masood later told PTI, "Bhagat Singh cannot be compared with Hamas; no one can be, as the two are not the same. Bhagat Singh can never be compared to anyone. No one is comparable. This is wrong. I have clearly said that if a person kills another person, it is not a good thing. We do not support violence.
"The BJP tries to raise issues like this and not issues concerning people and the country and try to put words into the mouth of others. The BJP people are selectively spreading this falsehood... I only said that Hamas is fighting for their land, just as Bhagat Singh fought for ours..."
"I have never compared anyone and certainly not Bhagat Singh. Bhagat Singh is 'Shaheed-E-Azam' and he cannot be compared to anyone. His ideology is different," he later claimed.
With PTI inputs.
