JAIPUR: Former home minister and BJP MLA from Udaipur Gulab Chand Kataria stirred a controversy with a shocking statement that if the Hindus are not united, cities in

will turn into Pakistan.

He was speaking at a public function in Adinda village under Vallabh Nagar block in Udaipur district at a workers’ New Year get together function on Sunday.

“If Hindus do not unite, cities in Rajasthan will turn into Pakistan,” said senior BJP MLA. A video clip of the ex-minister making the statement has gone viral on social media.

“If you get a chance, visit the old city area in Jaipur. Idols in temples of this area are crying as no puja can be conducted. No proper rituals can be carried out at these temples as they are situated in colonies where people throw bones and meat within temple premises. Who will fight with them daily?’’ he asks in the video. ``People have been ultimately forced to vacate these places to save their family and young daughters,” he alleges.

“You know what is love jihad. Your daughters are fleeing with puncturewalas,” Kataria explained. ``Try to understand, if you make à mistake, there is no way out. You can just cry with your head in your arms”.

“Understand the danger and unite with all your strength... We are all children of Ram, forget about caste and religion. Our religion and caste are same, Ram. Even when we die we say ‘Ram Ram. We also wish one another with ‘Ram Ram Sa’. Ram is our faith,” he says.

He exhorted party workers to unite and sink differences for the bigger battle (Lok Sabha election) and strengthen the hands of people like him. He was speaking in the context of some former BJP leaders forming a front against him in the last assembly polls.

When contacted, Kataria confirmed to TOI about making the statements. He said he was trying to simply point out the difference between voting patterns of different sections of society, said Kataria.

“There are areas whére 75% votes were polled but we got only 7 votes. Have we differentiated them in development?” he asked.

When asked about Congress’ allegations that it is the BJP which has demolished the temples in the old city areas for the Metro project and beautification of the city, he said “We have only shifted temples and not demolished them.”