Devotion to Lord Ram and Hanuman is not the copyright of the BJP, says Uma Bharti

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti said that devotion to Lord Ram and Hanuman is not the copyright of the BJP. She was responding to a question about former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath building a Hanuman temple.

Her remark comes a day after she said BJP supporters should look around and decide which party to vote for. She also courted controversy for throwing stones at a liquor store and demanding a blanket ban on alcohol in Madhya Pradesh. She has also been demanding prohibition from the state government. Bharti also backed BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's call for Hindus to keep weapons at home.

Uma Bharti is a former chief minister of the state and has been upset over the party leadership sidelining her.

She was in Chhindwara to participate in several events and spoke about the controversy over the film 'Pathaan'. She said the censor board should immediately remove the "objectionable scenes'' and added that there is no need for politics in this. "Scenes that hurt anyone's religious sentiments should be removed. India will not tolerate the insult of any colour. Saffron is the identity of Indian culture, the censor board should immediately remove the scenes," said the BJP leader.

She also said there is no need for any Jodo Yatra in India and criticised Congress leader Salman Khurshid for comparing Rahul Gandhi to Lord Ram. She said it is wrong to compare "Lord Shri Ram, the lord of the universe, with Rahul Gandhi." She added that Congress is making themselves subjects of ridicule.

She also targeted Khurshid directly and said: "I thought they had dug him out of the Mohenjo-Daro civilization."