JOIN USBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has said the party does not agree with its MP Sakshi Maharaj’s call for Hindu women to have four children.
“It was his individual statement. The BJP doesn’t agree with it,” he said and admitted that such remarks, including those on the issue of religious conversion, damage the image of the party.
Addressing a press conference during his two-day visit to Telugu speaking states, Shah said, “When our MLAs or MPs give such kind of statements, it damages the BJP.”
Shah said he has advised party members to exercise restraint. He, however, said such statements do not affect the development agenda of the Union government.
Refusing to comment on Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi’s claim “every child is born a Muslim” and the issue of “ghar wapsi”, Shah opined that a strong and comprehensive law banning forced conversions is the only solution.
“It is unfortunate that parties that project themselves as secular have not come forward to support the government’s proposal in Parliament for bringing anti-conversion law,” he added.
Answering a question on the demand of its alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal for releasing 13 Khalistani terrorists serving life sentence in five states, Shah said the BJP does not accept the demand.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has reportedly written to the chief ministers of several states, seeking premature release of prisoners. On government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said talks were still going on.
Denying that the issue of Article 370 is proving a hurdle in government formation, the BJP chief said talks were on because no party has secured a clear mandate. He further said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had not placed any demand before the BJP for giving up its demand for repeal of Article 370.
Unveiling the plans of the BJP, Shah said that expansion will have no impact on its alliance with its partners like the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh.