The size of graveyards and cremation grounds available in a village should be as per the population of the communities living there, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has said.
Reminiscent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments about ‘kabristan and shamshaan’ during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll campaign, Mr. Sakshi has alleged that Hindus were facing “injustice” as Muslims had larger graveyards in villages. The comments were made by the Unnao MP during a ‘nukkad sabha’ on Sunday while campaigning for the Bangermau Assembly by-poll.
“Anupat ke adhar pe qabristan aur shamshaan hona chaiye (Graveyards and cremation grounds should be as per the population),” said the MP.
“Even if there is a single Muslim in the village, the qabristan is very large. But you (Hindus) cremate your dead in the farms or in the Ganga. Is this not gross injustice,” Mr. Sakshi asked.
A video of the speech by the controversial saffron-clad leader often accused of divisive comments was widely shared on social media. It is not clear in what context Mr. Sakshi made the comments.
Mr. Sakshi further said that the [Hindu] community's patience and decency should not be tested.
While campaigning for the UP Assembly polls in 2017, Mr. Modi had suggested discrimination under the then ruling Samajwadi Party and said that if a graveyard was made in a village, it should also have a cremation ground.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to address a meeting in the constituency, which was vacated after the conviction of BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in a rape case, on Tuesday.
