BJP’s Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj blames media for his comments

LUCKNOW: BJP’s Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj, who was served a showcause notice by his party, has told ET that it was unfortunate that his comments were ‘misinterpreted’ by the media, while controversial remarks made by other leaders like Haji Yaqub Qureshi were ‘ignored’.

Maharaj had said that Hindu women should bear four children to sustain the community’s population. He said: “I have only heard from the media about a show-cause notice being issued by the party. I have not yet received any notice, nor has any senior leader told me about it. If such a notice comes I will reply,” he said.

“What I speak is controversial but what Qureshi says is not. What Assaduddin Owaisi said was also ignored. Nobody is talking about what these leaders have said,” he said. Qureshi had announced that he would offer `51 crore to those who attacked the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris and killed 12 people.

Qureshi said the killings were justified as the newspaper cartoonists had denigrated Prophet Mohammad. Maharaj had also called Mahatama Gandhi’s assassin Godse a patriot. “Some external forces are out to discredit me because I am a saint and a Backward. You would have heard of the attacks aboard. If these sections are not checked such attacks would become more common,” he said.