Nov 17 (FP): He has done it again. BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who has embarrassed the party earlier on several occasions, slammed senior Samajwadi leader Azam Khan for his comments on Paris attacks and said that the SP leader "makes the Al-Qaeda hit list.' Azam Khan on Saturday had put the onus for deadly Paris attacks on US-led attacks on Syria.
IBNLive quoted Sakshi Maharaj as saying, "Dekhiye Azam Khan jaise bolte hai rashtra ke virodh mei bolte hai aur aaj kal jo bi kehte hai uska jo arth hota hai woh rashtra virodhi arth hota hai. Itni badi ghatna ghatne ke baad Azam Khan ka yeh kehna ki action ka reaction hai, mujhe lagta hai yeh unhone france ka mazaak banaya hai. Aise aadmi ke khilaaf toh FIR darj honi chahiye. (These days whatever Azam Khan is saying is against the nation. Such a big incident took place in Paris and Azam Khan called it a reaction to an action and I think he is making mockery of Fance. An FIR should be filed against Azam Khan.)"
Last month, after the Dadri lynching, Maharaj compared the killing of cows to terrorist attacks on the country. The BJP MP, who has repeatedly courted controversy with his hardline Hindutva stance, added that be it the issue of Tipu Sultan or Paris attacks, Azam talks as if he backs terrorists, ANI tweeted.
The BJP MP added that India, compared to other nations, was the most tolerant. After all, we even "feed our snakes." That's what he said.
Meanwhile The Huffington Post reported on Tuesday that the Janata Dal (United) is going to protest in the winter session of the Parliament against the Maharaj making provocative statements often. JD (U) leader KC Tyagi told ANI that this is the time for world leaders to stand together against terrorism. Instead, Maharaj is being someone who "pollute(s) the Parliament as well as national politics," ANI quoted Tyagi as saying.
On Saturday, Azam Khan had condemned the deadly Paris attacks, saying it was not justified, but then added, “Attack on Arab countries and killing of innocents there by US and Russia is also not justified… We need to look who killed whom first, after that who retaliated. This is a debatable issue. You strike bombs through drones to kill the innocents... History will decide who is a terrorist and who is wrong.”
He also stated that the superpowers must consider whether this attack is a reaction to US-led attacks on Syria. “What action led to this reaction and whether their action was justified? They need to think otherwise there is apprehension that the situation will get worse. I think the world is heading towards another World War.”
Azam Khan received flak not only from Sakshi Maharaj, but from other BJP leaders too. Even the French ambassador to India, Francois Richier, slammed Khan, adding that he was 'saddened' by his remarks.
This is not the first time that Sakshi Maharaj has been in the news for his controversial statements against Muslims.
After the census report, which was released in September this year, showed that the Muslim population had increased while that of Hindus had fallen, he said the Muslim community no longer deserved its minority status. “They are no longer a minority. They say they are over a quarter of the population. In Kashmir, they are more than 90 per cent. There are many districts where they are 70, 80, 90 percent, so what is minority about them," he said.
In June this year he irrevocably stated that a Ram temple will be built under the BJP’s rule at Ayodhya and that, "No person will be allowed to keep even a brick in the name of Babri mosque.”