Vikram Saini (born 5 June 1969) is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh representing the Khatauli assembly constituency.[2][3] In 2022, he was convicted and sentenced to 2-years in prison in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case.

Vikram Saini
MLA in 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly
In office
March 2022 – 8 November 2022
ConstituencyKhatauli (Assembly constituency)
Succeeded byMadan Bhaiya
MLA in 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh
In office
March 2017 – March 2022
Preceded byKartar Singh Bhadana
ConstituencyKhatauli (Assembly constituency)
Personal details
BornKawal, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party
SpouseMrs. Rajkumari Saini
ParentHoshyara Saini[1]
Residence(s)Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh
Alma mater8th Pass From Rajbala Shiksha Niketan,Kawal, Muzaffarnagar[1]
OccupationMLA
ProfessionPolitician[1]

Early life and education

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Saini was born on 5 June 1969 in Kawal, Uttar Pradesh.[4] He received his 8th Pass from Rajbala Shiksha Niketan.[5] At the time of the 2017 election, he listed his occupation as being in agriculture.[5]

Political career

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Vikram Saini was formerly the gram pradhan of Kawal.[6][7] He has been a member of the 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh. Since 2017, he has represented the Khatauli (Assembly constituency) and is a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party.[1][8] He defeated Samajwadi Party candidate Chandan Singh Chauhan by a margin of 31,374 votes.[2][better source needed]

Muzaffarnagar riots

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Saini appeared in court in 2020 over attempt-to-murder charges against him under the National Security Act relating to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, during which three people died.[9][6] He had been detained and released in 2014 for his alleged role in the riots.[7]

On 12 October 2022 Vikram Saini was convicted and sentenced to 2-years in prison in the riots case.[10][11] Saini along with 11 others were sentenced to two years imprisonment by a special MP/MLA court which convicted them of rioting and other offences and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each.[12][13]

Political positions

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Cow vigilantism

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In March 2017 Vikram Saini threatened to break the limbs of anyone who disrespected or killed cows.[14][15]

Extra-judicial violence

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On 23 October 2017 Saini caused controversy after he addressed people attending a gathering in Muzaffarnagar asking them to physically assault people who harass women.[16]

Population control

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On 5 February 2018 while addressing a gathering on "population control" (Islamophobic), he said Hindus were free to have as many kids as possible until a law is passed, and while they only had two children, "others did not." He also claimed he told his wife to keep having kids until a population control law was passed.[17]

Vande Mataram

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On 4 January 2019 after the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh had said singing Vande Mataram would no longer be mandatory for civil servants, Saini said there should be a law against those "who are against Vande Mataram" and they should be considered 'anti-nationals.' In the same speech he said anyone who is unsafe in India should be considered 'anti-nationals' and, if given a ministry, he would strap bombs to their back and blow them up. He later claimed he said nothing wrong and he was simply using the local language, but Congress leaders said he was "speaking like a terrorist."[18]

Nehru family

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In September 2019 Saini made a derogatory remark on the Nehru family.[19][20]

Article 370 on Kashmir

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After the government scrapped Article 370 that ensured Kashmir's "special status", on 7 August 2019, Saini addressed party workers saying Kashmiri women have been subject to many atrocities, and that Muslim workers should rejoice since they could now marry 'gori ladki' (white girl) from Kashmir. His comments was widely derided as misogynistic, but Saini stood by his comments saying he said nothing objectionable.[21][22]

Posts held

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# From To Position Comments
01 March 2017 March 2022 Member, 17th Legislative Assembly [2]
02 March 2022 November

2022

Member, 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly Disqualified

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Candidate affidavit". my neta.info.
  2. ^ a b c "Khatauli Election Results 2017". elections.in. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Khatauli Election Result 2022 LIVE: Khatauli MLA Election Result & Vote Share – Oneindia". www.oneindia.com. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Vikram Singh Saini". Our Neta. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Vikram Singh(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- KHATAULI(MUZAFFARNAGAR) – Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b Srivastava, Prashant (8 August 2019). "BJP MLA Saini, who commented on 'fair Kashmiri girls', an accused in Muzaffarnagar riots". ThePrint. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Muzaffarnagar riots: Two released from jail". The Economic Times. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Find out who is contesting from Khatauli, Uttar Pradesh". www.hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Muzaffarnagar riots: BJP MLA appears before court | Meerut News – Times of India". The Times of India. PTI. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  10. ^ "BJP MLA Vikram Saini gets 2-year jail in riots case". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Gram pradhan to two-time MLA: How Vikram Saini's fortunes changed after 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots". The Indian Express. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Muzaffarnagar Riots: BJP MLA Vikram Saini, 11 Others Convicted, Sentenced to Jail". The Wire. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  13. ^ Upadhyay, Sparsh (12 October 2022). "Muzaffarnagar Riots 2013 Case: BJP MLA Vikram Saini, 10 Others Sentenced To Two Years In Prison, Granted Bail Later". www.livelaw.in. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  14. ^ Ishita Bhatia (26 March 2017). "Vikram Saini: Will break limbs of cow killers: Riot-accused BJP MLA | Meerut News – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  15. ^ "BJP's Vikram Saini unapologetic about 'will break limbs of cow killers' threat". India Today. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  16. ^ "UP BJP MLA asks people to beat up those harassing women". www.newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  17. ^ "BJP MLA's bizarre statement: Told my wife to keep producing children until law on population control comes into existence". The Financial Express. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  18. ^ Dilshad, Mohd (4 January 2019). "Vikram Saini MLA: Give me ministry and I will bomb those who feel unsafe in this country". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  19. ^ Mohd Dilshad (18 September 2019). "UP BJP MLA Vikram Saini calls entire Nehru family 'aiyyash' | Meerut News – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  20. ^ "UP BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini makes derogatory remark on Jawaharlal Nehru". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  21. ^ Scroll Staff. "Watch: 'Now, marry the white-skinned women of Kashmir', UP MLA Vikram Saini tells party workers". Scroll.in. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  22. ^ ""Now Marry Fair Kashmiri Women": BJP Lawmaker's Article 370 Shocker". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 August 2019.