Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clear warning against making controversial remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party's Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj on Tuesday triggered a fresh controversy by saying that every Hindu woman must produce at least four children to protect the future of Hinduism.
"We have accepted the slogan 'Hum do, hamare ek'. Now these traitors are no satisfied. They have given another slogan 'Hum do aur hamara.... They are advocating marriage of a girl to a girl, boy to another boy. This is what the last government did," Maharaj said.
He made the fresh controversial statement at the Sant Samagam Mahotsava in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening. Maharaj, 58, said that every Hindu woman must produce four children to give one each to military and religious leaders.
"This is why I... want to request women to give birth to at least four children. Give one to sadhus and ascetics. Media says there are ceasefire violations happening, so send another to the border," he added.
He went ahead to appreciate the ghar wapsi (reconversion) event and said reconversion is not similar to conversion and those involved in conversion will be punished with death.
"Wait for some time," Maharaj thundered, "a law will be passed in Parliament in which anyone indulging in cow slaughter and conversion will be punished with a death sentence," The Times of India quoted him as saying.
He also said that reconversion or ghar wapsi programmes will continue to happen in India.
"It is a continuous affair and will not stop. India belonged to Hindus earlier, it belongs to Hindus now and will continue to belong to Hindus. Hinduism is something that needs to be absorbed and cannot be found lying in mosques or prostrating in churches," he said at the religious gathering.
Maharaj had last year invited criticism and condemnation from Congress when he said that the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse, was a patriot.
Following his remark and a controversial statement by another BJP leader Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Modi had warned all party MPs against making such derogatory remarks and asked them to instead work towards the development of the nation.
