Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in soup over Temple comment

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is in the midst of a controversy after reportedly commenting that the BJP is not a construction company to build Ram temple.

In an interview with Gulf News correspondent Nilima Pathak, Naqvi criticised his party's candidate from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi for making anti-Muslim speeches. He said that terming every skullcap-wearing Muslim as a product of Osama Bin Laden's factory, is objectionable.

On the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Naqvi said that it was not a political issue for BJP. He said that BJP is not a construction company that will build mosque, temple, church or other structures.

It will build a consensus for facilitating the construction of temple in Ayodhya. The historic Babri Masjid was demolished after BJP LK Advani's rath-yatra and the construction of temple along with Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code have been among the main poll planks of the Saffron party.

Naqvi had recently landed in a controversy when he had made a comment over women wearing lipstick and powder in the wake of citizens' angry protests against the entire political class following terrorist attack in Mumbai.

TIH Bureau