By Alok Pandey
Lucknow: A BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh today defended his hate speech, littered with anti-Muslim slur, that has gone viral in the middle of elections.
In a video, Raghvendra Singh was heard saying that if he was re-elected, Muslims would switch from skull caps to “tilak”.
Facing a backlash over his outrageous comments, the MLA from Domariyaganj in eastern UP said today 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,” Raghvendra 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.
“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,” 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’?” he ranted in a stream of divisive comments.
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.
In eastern UP, several BJP leaders have made polarising comments ahead of the vote. The party last month lost several backward caste leaders from the region to the Samajwadi Party of Akhilesh Yadav.
UP is voting in seven phases and the results will be declared on March 10
This story first appeared on ndtv.com