UP BJP leader seeks ban on burqa, says Ravana’s sister Surpanakha used it to hide her face | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

UP BJP leader seeks ban on burqa, says Ravana’s sister Surpanakha used it to hide her face

New Delhi | ByPress Trust of India
Feb 10, 2020 10:20 PM IST

Without citing his source, BJP leader Raghuraj Singh linked burqa to Surpanakha, the demon who has her face disfigured in Ramayana. According to Singh’s version, Surpanakha fled to hide in the Arab desert.

A BJP leader Monday demanded a ban on burqa, calling it a security threat and provocatively linking it to demon king Ravana’s sister Surpanakha.

The BJP leader said people are sporting burqas in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh protest against the new citizenship law, and added, “The burqa helps terrorists”.(Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)
The BJP leader said people are sporting burqas in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh protest against the new citizenship law, and added, “The burqa helps terrorists”.(Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

“Burqa should be banned in the country as has been done in several other countries,” Raghuraj Singh, who holds a rank equivalent to a minister of state in the Uttar Pradesh government, told reporters.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Singh claimed burqa is not worn in countries like Sri Lanka, China, the US and Canada and said it should be banned in India as terrorists can take advantage of it.

The BJP leader said people are sporting burqas in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh protest against the new citizenship law, and added, “The burqa helps terrorists, thieves and anti-socials elements to hide behind it.” “Burqa is a threat to national security and has to be banned to crush terrorism,” Singh said.

ALSO WATCH | ‘Suicidal bomb’: BJP’s Giriraj Singh on baby’s death at Shaheen Bagh protest

Without citing his source, Singh linked burqa to Surpanakha, the demon who has her face disfigured in Ramayana. According to Singh’s version, Surpanakha fled to hide in the Arab desert.

“As her nose and ears were chopped, she used a burqa to hide her face,” he said, adding it is not necessary for humans.

“In Mecca, a shivalinga was set up by Guru Shukracharya, who was the guru of devils, and from there the burqa tradition started,” he said.

“This is Hindustan and it will be run as per traditions of the Hindus. This is our wish,” he said.

Singh, who is part of a cell attached to UP government’s labour department, courted controversy earlier by threatening to bury alive Aligarh Muslim University students for raising slogans against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Aligarh unit spokesperson said Singh holds the rank equivalent to a minister of state in the UP government.

Congress leader P L Punia and Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh condemned Singh’s remarks.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh, a minister in the UP government, disowned the remarks, saying they reflected Raghuraj’s Singh’s personal opinion.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Live Updates, Bihar Board 12th Result Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On