Samajwadi Party leader S.T. Hasan has sparked a political storm with his controversial comments on the recent Uttarkashi cloudburst and flash flood tragedy, which has left several people dead and many missing. Rescue operations are currently underway in the affected areas.
Hasan claimed that the disaster was a reflection of "divine justice" for the alleged lack of respect towards other religions in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
“In Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, there is no respect for other religions. When the one who runs this world delivers justice, no one can escape it,” he said.
Undeterred by criticism, the SP leader reiterated his long-standing opposition to demolishing places of worship whether mosques, dargahs, or temples suggesting that such sites should be vacated peacefully rather than razed with bulldozers.
His remarks drew sharp condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused Hasan of politicizing a natural disaster and viewing even tragedy through a communal lens. BJP leaders called the statements divisive and baseless, stressing that floods and natural calamities are not connected to religious dynamics.
Despite the backlash, Hasan has stood by his words, fuelling an intense war of words between the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party, even as the region grapples with the humanitarian crisis caused by the floods.
