Sadhvi asks Hindus not to use rakhees made by Muslims

Within days after the Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Nahid Hasan's appeal to his community members to ''boycott'' shops of BJP supporters, firebrand and controversial saffron leader Sadhvi Prachi asked the Hindus not to use 'rakhees' (sacred thread tied by sisters on the hands of their brothers) made by the Muslims.

Sadhvi Prachi also asked the Hindus not use the 'kanwars' (earthen pitchers in which the devotees carry Ganga waters to offer on Lord Shiva during the Hindu month of Shravana) made by the Muslims.

''The festival of Rakhee is approaching....we often use the rakhees made by the Muslims.....we should not do that....Hindus should make rakhees,'' the Sadhvi said at a religious function at Doghat in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district, about 500 kilometres from here, on Wednesday.

''We should also boycott the kanwars made by the Muslims...Hindus should make kanwars,'' she remarked.

The 'kanwars' were mainly made by the Muslim community members, especially in the relgious town of Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Lakhs of devotees carry the Ganga waters taken from Haridwar and offer the same at the famous Shiva temple of 'Neelkanth' in the hill state.

The Sadhiv's remarks come with a few days after Nahid Hasan, an SP MLA from Kairana in UP, reportedly said that Muslims should ''boycott'' the shops owned by the BJP supporters. A case has been lodged against the MLA in this connection.

Earlier also Sadhiv Prachi had made controversial remarks. She had once asked the Muslim women to convert to Hinduism to escape from triple talaq.