‘Bring 10 Muslim girls, get jobs’: Ex-BJP MLA’s remarks in UP’s Siddharthnagar spark row

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Raghavendra Pratap Singh has sparked controversy with his remarks in which he offered to cover marriage expenses and provide jobs to Hindu men who “bring ten Muslim girls and make them Hindu”, PTI reported.

Singh, who represented the Domariyaganj Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district, made the remarks at a gathering in Dhankharpur village on October 16.

A video of the event that was widely circulated on social media shows Singh telling a crowd to “bring at least ten Muslim girls” and asking them to raise their hands if they were ready to do so, The Indian Express reported.

“If a Hindu girl goes with a Muslim boy, is it not an insult to the whole Hindu community?” PTI quoted him as saying in the video. “If two have gone, then …bringing two is not enough. Bring at least ten Muslim girls and make them Hindu, and we will bear all expenses of marriage, give security and provide a job for a comfortable livelihood.”

He also said that during previous governments, Hindus lived in fear, but under Chief Minister Adityanath’s rule, there is no need to be scared anymore.

The video has triggered criticism from Opposition parties, who have described the comments as “anti-women” and “communal”.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati...

Read more