New Delhi: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his infamous ‘qabristan-shamshaan’ remarks at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has taken a leaf out of his book and suggested Muslims should also be cremated since there is not enough land for graveyards.
“Whether it is named qabristan (graveyard) or shamshaan (crematoriums), nobody needs to be buried. There are 2-2.5 crore Hindu saints in this country who should have a memorial after their death. That will require land. There are 20 crore Muslims, all of them need a grave. Where is the land in Hindustan?” Maharaj said today.
At a rally in Fatehpur earlier this month, Modi had said, “If you create qabristan in a village, then a shamshaan should also be created. If there is uninterrupted electricity in Ramzan, it should also be given during Diwali. There should be no discrimination.”
The statement had triggered a storm, with the Opposition accusing Modi of trying to communalise the crucial three-cornered Uttar Pradesh contest.
Maharaj, 61, however, has a reputation for shooting his mouth. He has repeatedly blamed Muslims for India’s population. Last month, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against him by the Meerut Police for saying those entitled to “marry four times and have 40 children” are responsible for the country’s population explosion.
Since the statement was made while Uttar Pradesh is voting, even the Election Commission had pulled up Maharaj and sought a report from the Meerut administration.
(Agencies)
