Islam prohibits idol worship, true Muslims should never go to Durga pandal: BJP MLA Usha Thakur [VIDEO]

Last year, Usha Thakur had directed the local administration not to allow Muslims inside garba pandals during Navratri.

Usha Thakur, the BJP MLA from Indore, on Friday sparked a controversy by saying that a true Muslim "should never go to a Durga pandal as Islam prohibits idol worship".

"Supporting my views, the Qazis of the entire nation had once said, 'You are right in saying that Quran prohibits idol worship, so a true Muslim should never go to any Durga pandal,'' Thakur told the media.

She made the remark on being asked about her instructions to the local administration for garba pandals.

Garba or garbha is a traditional dance form performed during Navaratri, when Hindus worship all the nine forms of Goddess Durga.

On the ritual of sacrificing animals (goats or sheep) during Eid al-Adha or Bakr-Eid, Thakur said: "A son was sacrificed on this day and he changed into goat. So, people should sacrifice their sons instead of innocent animals," Thakur said, according to ANI.

"If you want (to) sacrifice your child, you don't have the right to sacrifice animals," Hindi news channel Aaj Tak quoted Thakur as saying.

Bakr-Eid is one of the major festivals of Muslims celebrated to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) on the command of Allah.

This is not the first time when Thakur has made controversial statements against the Muslim community.

Last year in September, Thakur had said that Muslims should be banned from attending garba celebrations in Madhya Pradesh as they try to "seduce Hindu girls".

"We have got data that during the Garba, on an average, four lakh girls convert to Islam every year. So we have started this awareness drive. It has been seen that people who have no faith or devotion to the festival put tilak and wear sacred thread and practice Garba and during that time woo our girls," she had said.

Several BJP parliamentarians and members have repeatedly made contentious remarks in public, despite warning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi against crossing the "Lakshman rekha" and advising them to talk about developments instead of inciting people with hate speeches.

His advice came against the backdrop of BJP MPs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Sakshi Maharaj's controversial remarks made last year.

Jyoti triggered a controversy by calling the opposition parties "illegitimate" during an election rally. "You have to decide. Do you want a government of Ramzaadon (followers of Ram) or haramzaadon (those who are illegitimate)?" Jyoti had said.