Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Rameshwar Sharma from Bhopal’s Huzur constituency has sparked outrage with his threats targeting the minority Muslim community across the border.
The politician, known for his history of anti-Muslim remarks, made the threats while responding to reports that Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation for a Babri Masjid-style-mosque in Murshidabad.
“The TMC MLA from West Bengal is talking about the bricks of the Babri Masjid. I want to tell that MLA, TMC, and Muslims that they should dig a strong foundation for the mosque because the Babri Masjid will not be built, but that foundation might be used to make their graves,” Sharma said.
The statement came as Muslim communities across India observed December 6 as “Black Day” to mark the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. Members of a hardliner Hindu organisation had on Dec 6, 1992, demolished the historic mosque in Ayodhya, triggering deadly communal violence across the country.
This year, as Muslims commemorated the anniversary, Kabir laid the mosque foundation in Murshidabad. Hardliner Hindu organisations, including the ruling BJP, immediately criticised the TMC and the lawmaker.
Sharma has a record of making threatening remarks against religious minorities. Earlier, he declared that anyone who praises Mughal emperor Aurangzeb “will be sent to the graveyard”.