BJP MP Hukumdev Claims Majority of Muslims Descendants of Hindus

New Delhi: A BJP legislator on Monday claimed in the Lok Sabha that majority of Indian Muslims were descendants of Hindus while asking both the communities to respect each other's sentiment.

Hukumdev Narayan Yadav trained his guns on the Opposition after it slammed the government over lynchings in the country. Yadav said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly come out strongly against such acts.

He raised the issue of killing of RSS workers in Kerala, which is ruled by the Left Front government.

Yadav asserted that the responsibility of containing mob violence is that of the state governments.

He said "certain demons" have put on "holy garb" to defame the government, likening it to an episode in the Ramayana.

"Some people are indulging in terror (atankvadi) activities to defame the government," the BJP member said and slammed the Congress for questioning the intention of the Modi government.

Yadav, the MP from Madhubani in Bihar, said a fight between two ideologies has been going on for several decades and asserted those who follow the path of "economic development and nationalism" will come out victorious.

During his speech, he extensively quoted Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and said the BJP ideologue had stated that "Muslims in India are descendants of Hindus."

He said every Muslim must respect Hindu sentiment and at the same time, Hindus must respect the Muslims.

The MP was also severely critical of the policies of Congress and said "I will prefer to die than bowing before the Congress...Some politicians sit with the Congress and have biryani and then indulge in artificial fight outside."

Yadav said he will prefer to die than abadonning the ideology he is fighting for.

Talking about nationalism, Yadav said freedom fighters Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan had sung the poem 'Vande Mataram' but there is an environment now in which singing it is considered a crime.

He also cited a recent case in which a political leader had sought support from the Naxals. "There cannot be bigger lynching than this," the BJP member said.

Yadav also alleged that Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Ram Manohar Lohia were killed in late 1960s as both were planning to join hands.

The BJP MP drew the attention of the House towards the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and raised the issue of killing of RSS workers in Kerala.

(With inputs from PTI)