Mangaluru: BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde has sparked a controversy over his reported remarks allegedly belittling Islam and Muslims at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district.
At a press meet in Sirsi, Karnataka, Sunday, Hegde had allegedly equated Islam to a “ticking time bomb of terror” that needed to be eradicated. He also allegedly accused the media of helping terrorists by airing views of arrested JNU student Umar Khalid's father, a former member of the banned SIMI,the Indian Express reported
The Dakshina Kannada district unit of youth Congress filed a police complaint against the Uttara Kannada MP for making "blasphemous and insulting remarks" against Islam and Muslims, at a press conference yesterday.
Youth Congress district vice president Luqman Bantwal said in the complaint that the sentiments of Muslim community had been hurt by the comments made by the MP.
Dakshina Kannada Kazi Twaka Ahmed Musliyar also urged the state government to take action against Hegde for his "anti- Islam rhetoric" at the press meet.
Meanwhile, state Health Minister U T Khader requested Home Minister G Parameshwara to take suo motu action against Hegde for his "shocking and irresponsible" statement against Islam.
