Muslims shouldn’t live in India; they must go to Pak or Bangla: BJP MP

Self-proclaimed savior of Hindutva and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar on Wednesday said that Muslims should not even be living in India and asked them to go to Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Katiyar, who founded the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) youth wing, Bajrang Dal, further said a bill should be introduced in Parliament that frames a punishment for those "who do not respect Vande Mataram, (and) those who insult the national flag, or hoist the Pakistani flag."

The remark comes a day after AAIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi demanded that the government bring a law to punish with three-year jail term any person who calls an Indian Muslim "Pakistani".

Katiyar further said that "Muslims partitioned the country" on religious lines. "Muslims shouldn't even be living in this country, they're the ones who partitioned this country based on their population, so why do they need to live here? They were given separate territory, they should go to Pakistan or Bangladesh, what business do they have here," said Katiyar.

Two days ago, Katiyar had said that the Taj Mahal in Agra will soon become "Tej Mandir". When asked about the 'Taj Mahostav' being held in Agra, the MP said, "Call it Taj Mahotsav or Tej Mahotsav, both are the same things. There is not much difference between Taj and Tej."

On 3 February, Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi had suggested that Muslims who are against the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya "must go to Pakistan and Bangladesh".

On 14 January, a BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Ballia said that once India becomes a "Hindu rashtra", only those Muslims will stay in the country who assimilate into the Hindu culture.

"There are a very few Muslims who are patriotic. Once India becomes a Hindu rashtra (Hindu nation), Muslims who assimilate into our culture will stay in India. Those who will not are free to take asylum in any other country," Bairia MLA Surendra Singh had told reporters.