Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Karnataka deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa stoked a controversy by stating mosques should be razed to make way for the construction of temples.
In a speech given during a party meet at Karnataka’s Haveri district, Eshwarappa declared that temples which were allegedly demolished by the Mughals will be rebuilt on land where mosques currently stand.
“The court is giving a survey report about Kashi Vishwanath temple, similar to what we witnessed in Ayodhya. We will also witness the same in Kashi Vishwanath and Mathura Krishna temple,” he said.
Eshwarappa added, “We do not want to destroy new mosques; only those constructed on temple sites will be razed, be it today, tomorrow, or in the future, even after 50 years.”
The BJP leader is not a stranger to communal statements. A few months ago, he had courted controversy after saying that loudspeakers used for ‘azaan’ disturb people, especially students preparing for examinations and patients in hospitals.
“Does Allah listen only if the Azaan prayers are played on loudspeakers?” he had asked. Calling Azaan, a “headache.” His remarks evoked protests from the Muslim community.
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