india

Updated: Oct 13, 2019 20:03 IST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked its legislator in Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur to explain his comments against Muslims in a video, which has now gone viral on social media.

Rajkumar Thukral is allegedly seen in the video telling people at a public gathering in his constituency that he doesn’t need any Muslim votes and will never bow before any Muslim or a mosque.

“I don’t need any Muslim’s vote... My life is an open book... I will never go their doors, never go to meet them on Eid,” Thukral is heard saying in the purported video.

“My head will bow only before your feet. My head will never bow before any Muslim or a mosque. My identity is because of you. I never do any work of any Muslim… Nobody can break India till we are alive,” he adds.

The spokesperson of the BJP’s state unit Devendra Bhasin said a notice has been issued to Thukral by party general secretary Anil Goyal for his objectionable comments.

Bhasin said if Thukral doesn’t submit his explanation within a week then it will be deemed that he has nothing to say on the matter and the party would take disciplinary action against him.

“The BJP doesn’t differentiate on the basis of caste, colour or faith. We believe in development and cooperation of all,” he said.

When contacted, Thukral said the video is from October 2, 2011.

“This video is after the communal riots. Rudrapur remained shut for 11 to 12 days. I was a local BJP leader at that time. I became an MLA in March 2012,” he said.

“Now, I am a second-time MLA and the party’s ideology is supreme for me... Now my government says Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (Cooperation from all, development for all), and I believe in this totally,” he said.

Thukral said he will go to Dehradun on Monday and submit his explanation to the party leadership.

This is the second time in one month that Thukral has sparked a controversy with his comments.

He had called Sita ‘Meri Jaan’ on October 1 while playing the role of Ravana in a local Ramleela in Rudrapur.

The video of the scene was widely circulated on social media, prompting the Uttarakhand unit of the Congress to attack the BJP and demand action against Thukral.

Thukral had justified the dialogue, saying it was just a role he was playing.

“I was playing the role of Ravana, the antagonist in the play, who can say such words…Those were the words of Ravana and not mine. I have been playing the role of Ravana in the same manner but nobody ever objected to it earlier,” he said.