Son elopes with Buddhist woman, BJP expels Ladakh VP Nazir Ahmed

Leh: Days after his son eloped with a Buddhist woman and married her, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ladakh unit has announced the expulsion of its Vice President, Nazir Ahmed, from his party post and primary membership.

The decision, which was made with immediate effect, has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of the region even as Nazir Ahmad, 74, said his family was also against the marriage of his son, Manzoor Ahmad, with the Buddhist woman.

The announcement came following a high-level meeting of the Ladakh BJP leadership, chaired by the party’s state president Phunchok Stanzin. The decision to remove Nazir Ahmed from his positions within the party was reportedly unanimous.

In an official statement, Stanzin said that the senior leader was given an opportunity to clarify about his involvement in the sensitive issue of elopement of a Buddhist girl by his son.

The incident is unacceptable to all religious communities in Ladakh as it jeopardises communal harmony and unity among the people of the region, Stanzin said.

As a result, a decision has been reached to promptly relieve Nazir Ahmed as State Vice President and revoke his primary membership within the BJP, with immediate effect.

Ahmed said that his family was also against the marriage of his son with the Buddhist woman, and claimed that he has no idea where they are staying for the past one month.