Clarion India
LUCKNOW – A BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh made anti-Muslim remarks saying that if he is elected as a MLA again, Muslim will wear ’tilak’.
“If I become MLA again, like gol-topis (skull caps) have vanished, next time the miyan log (term used derogatorily for Muslims) will wear the tilak,” Raghvendra Singh had said “For the first time so many Hindus are contesting from the constituency. Will there be ‘salaam’ in Domariyaganj or ‘Jai Shri Ram’?”.
Facing a backlash over his outrageous comments, the MLA from Domariyaganj in eastern UP said on Monday he had meant it as a “conditional speech” to counter what he called “Islamic terrorism”.
“When there were Islamic terrorists here, Hindus were forced to wear gol topis (skull caps). I said ‘conditional’. I am ready to sacrifice anything for Hindu pride. I meant that if Muslims are trying everything they can to defeat me, I will not stay silent,” Singh said in a video.
Singh is the UP in-charge of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a rightwing group founded by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The UP police say they have filed a case after the video of his virulent campaign speech emerged online.
In 2017, he won from the Domariyaganj seat by some 200 votes.
Domariyaganj, which has a mixed population, votes in the sixth phase of UP polls.
