lucknow

Updated: Jul 01, 2017 16:41 IST

Two days after Azam Khan allegedly accused the Indian Army of excesses, members of Bajrang Dal in Rampur announced on Friday a cash reward of Rs 51 lakh for beheading the senior Samajwadi Party leader.

“Anyone who will paint his face black and feed him pork will be awarded Rs 1 crore,” also reads the statements released by the group.

Consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam. Not just stopping here, the group in its statement also demanded a DNA test to confirm Khan’s paternal origin.

“A true Muslim can never speak against the country and Khan’s statements against Indian Army prove that he is not a true Muslim. There must be a DNA test,” said Sarvesh Gangwar, regional head, Bajrang Dal.

Earlier, district president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Shahjahanpur Rajesh Awasthi had announced Rs 50 lakh reward for the person cutting Khan’s tongue.

Awasthi, who runs a small general store in the district, has promised to sell his house and shop to pay the award money out of his pocket. “There is nothing bigger than the country and I am ready to pay any price to protect it from people like Khan,” he said.

The controversy erupted when Khan, while addressing SP supporters at an Eid Milan function on Tuesday, said, “At some places women militants took away private parts of soldiers. They didn’t take their head or limbs but their private parts. The act has such a big message to it…”

Read more: Azam Khan kicks up another row

By Wednesday, the video of his statement was widely circulated and Khan was at the receiving end from people all over the country.

The outcry forced him to come out with an explanation.In a written explanation, he said the statement was in reference to a Maoist attack in Jharkhand earlier this year. “It was widely reported in newspapers and television that women terrorists of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha mutilated the dead bodies of (CRPF) soldiers and took away their private parts,” read the statement.

Several people across UP have filed police complaint against him regarding the statement. In Rampur, a local Congress leader has accused him of sedition while a group of advocates has demanded his arrest on the ground of national security in Budaun.