Though the statement reflected apparent communal hatred towards Muslims, which is amounting to inviting a natural suo motu case against the MLA for fuelling communal tension, former BJP MLA Raghvendra Singh doubled down on his controversial remark, citing the Muslim majority in his constituency and asserting that his statement, “bring a Muslim girl for a job,” was directed as a message to the community.
A video of Singh from Sidharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh went viral, showing him addressing a gathering where he urged Hindu youths to marry Muslim women and assured them of jobs in return.
The comments, made during a local meeting in Domariyaganj, were widely condemned across political lines as communal and misogynistic, prompting demands for legal action. The former legislator, however, maintained that his remarks were intended to convey a warning to those he accused of harming Hindus in the area, The Indian Express reported.
Following the circulation of the video, the BJP distanced itself from Singh’s remarks, clarifying that the event had no official association with the party. The BJP’s Sidharthnagar district chief, Kanhaiya Paswan, stated that the meeting was not organised under any party banner and that the leadership was unaware of any such statement.
Singh, who represented Domariyaganj in the 2017 Assembly after defeating BSP’s Saiyada Khatoon, had lost to her in the 2022 elections when she contested as the Samajwadi Party candidate.
Opposition parties reacted sharply, accusing Singh of promoting communal discord and degrading women.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati criticised his statement as narrow-minded and divisive, warning that such remarks encouraged social disorder under the pretext of protecting religious identity. She urged the state government to take strict legal action against those spreading hatred instead of shielding them for political convenience.
Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav described Singh’s comments as irresponsible and reflective of a broader anti-women mindset prevalent among BJP leaders. The Congress, too, alleged that the BJP resorted to sowing religious hatred to divert public attention from pressing issues such as unemployment, education, and inflation, arguing that leaders like Singh were misleading youth for political mileage.