KS Eshwarappa’s controversial statement in midst of hectic preparations for consecration ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple
Former karnataka deputy chief minister and senior bharatiya janata party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa is a man who takes pride in his deep-rooted Hindutva ideology, is unabashedly anti-Muslim, and enjoys stoking controversies. The leader made yet another controversial statement in the midst of hectic preparations for the pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony at ram temple in UP’s ayodhya on january 22. The former minister asked Muslims to vacate all mosques that he claims have been built after desecrating temples, or data-face dire consequences. He had earlier claimed that churches and mosques were built in mathura and Kashi Vishwanath after demolishing temples.“There are two more places, including mathura, that are under consideration. The matter is in court, and when the verdict is delivered whether it is today or tomorrow we will construct temples wherever mosques have been built. My suggestion is that it would be advantageous for you (Muslims) to vacate voluntarily; otherwise, there may be repercussions,” he said. This is not the first time Eshwarappa has made such provocative comments. Last year in May, the senior bjp leader claimed that 36,000 temples were destroyed across the country to build masjids. He said the Mughals had destroyed temples and built mosques over them.“Let them build mosques elsewhere and offer namaz, but we will not tolerate them doing so in mosques built over our temples. I am telling you now, all the 36,000 temples will be reclaimed by Hindus using legal means not one masjid will be standing,” he had said. Eshwarappa is among the karnataka BJP’s triumvirate, alongside BS Yediyurappa and the late former Union minister Ananth Kumar, who built the party from the grassroots level and opened its first-ever account in southern India. Having been elected from shimoga as an mla or an MLC since the 1990s, Eshwarappa claimed that in his constituency, which has around 8-10,000 kuruba (his community) votes and over 50,000 Muslim voters, he has not once gone to a single Muslim seeking their vote.