Days after accusing Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of indulging in “minority appeasement”, BJP MLA T Raja Singh Lodh on Monday said only those “begging for a vote”, host Iftar parties. In a video posted on Facebook, the MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad also said that the “green book (Quran) is responsible for spreading terrorism in India” and that he will neither host nor attend any Iftar party with those who “talk of killing Hindus”.
“These days, many Telangana legislators are busy hosting Iftar parties, wearing skull caps and taking selfies. They think if they have to do vote bank politics, they will have to think of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ (together with all, development for all). This is their thinking. Those who sit with them (attend Iftar parties) are ‘vote ke bikhari’ (beggars for vote). My thinking is different,” Raja said in the video.
Launching a direct attack on the Muslim community and accusing them of “killing the Hindus”, the MLA said his religion was different as Hinduism taught giving respect to everyone. “But some religions and their religious books preach to kill Hindus as they are ‘Kafir’ (a term literally meaning non-believers but often construed as insulting to followers of other religions). How can I attend an Iftar or host one for those who talk of killing Hindus,” he said.
The BJP leader said in order to substantiate his above claims to his friend, he told him that it was mentioned in the “green book” – a reference made to the Quran, the holy book of the Muslims. “The green book is responsible for the spread of terrorism in India and it should be banned. I will fight to get it banned,” he said.
Raja also said that he dreams of an “akhand Hindu rashtra (undivided Hindu nation), construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a ban on cow slaughter across the country and the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits. “When there are over 50 Muslim countries and more than 100 Christian countries, why can’t there be a single Hindu nation?” he asked.
This is perhaps not the first time when the MLA has made such statements. He was booked by the police several times in the past over his alleged provocative speeches. Raja had once said that the heads of those opposing the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya must be chopped off.
While accusing CM Rao of “appeasing” the minorities, he had earlier posted on Twitter, “KCR wants aid from the Centre as the state is in financial crisis but for appeasement of minorities, the Telangana government is spending Rs 66 crore for Iftar party. Development over vote bank politics.”
