BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, Surendra Singh. BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, Surendra Singh.

BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, Surendra Singh, has triggered a controversy with his reported remarks that Muslim men keep “50 women” and father “1,050 children”, calling this an “animalistic tendency.”

The MLA from Bairiya constituency reportedly said this on Sunday, when reporters asked him to comment on the marriage of Bareilly BJP MLA Rajesh Mishra’s daughter Sakshi and Ajitesh Kumar.

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“Sawal yeh hai ke Muslim dharm me jo hai aap jaante hai ke 50 aurat rakhiye aur 1,050 bachha paida kijiye. Yeh koi parampara nahi hai. Yeh to ek jo hai jaanwari pravitti hai. Theek hai, prakriti paddhati jo bhi santaan aa raha hai, do aa jaye, teen aa jaaye, chaar aa jaaye, usme koi baat nahi hai (The question is that in Muslim religion, a man can keep 50 women and father 1,050 children. This is no tradition but an animalistic tendency. Naturally, if you have two, three or four children, that is not an issue),” said Singh. A video of his remarks is being circulated on social media, drawing criticism.

When asked about his statement, Singh said: “On Sunday, mediapersons asked me why I am bothered about the marriage between Sakshi and Ajitesh. I said the Dalit man she claimed to have married was not a good person and he has left women in the past, too. When someone asked me that a lot of people marry more than one woman, I told him that this happens only with Muslims”.

BJP spokesperson Chandramohan denied having any information on Singh’s statement and said the party has not issued any response in this regard yet.

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