BJP MLA Balmukundacharya's 'Pakistan Murdabad' slogans at Jaipur mosque spark outrage

JAIPUR: The Jama Masjid management committee Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to take cognisance of BJP MLA Balmukundacharya's actions, accusing him of disrespecting the sanctity of the mosque and attempting to incite communal violence in Jaipur.
The Hawa Mahal MLA had led a group of supporters to the Walled City Jama Masjid ahead of the Friday prayers and stuck a poster of "Pakistan Murdabad" on the mosque's stairs. He also stamped on the mosque's stairs as his supporters sloganeered outside the mosque.
The BJP MLA's conduct, which led to widespread protests on Friday and and FIR against him, saw Zahirullah Khan, secretary of the Jama Masjid Committee (JMC) strongly criticise the MLA's actions on Saturday. "PM Modi speaks of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,' yet your party's MLA brazenly entered the mosque during the time of Nawaz (prayers) to provoke riots. Modiji, your silence would mean that you endorse his acts," Khan said.
Responding to reports that suggested Muslims objected to anti-Pakistan slogans raised by the MLA and his supporters, Adarsh Nagar MLA Rafeek Khan said the Jama Masjid had hosted a special prayer for the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack minutes before the MLA and his supporters disrupted Friday prayers. "The objection was not to the slogans but to the trespassing into an important mosque with the clear intention of provoking violence among worshippers," Khan said.
Calling out Balmukundacharya for his anti-Muslim acts, Jaipur Municipal Corporation representatives said, "Not only did he forcibly enter the mosque, but he also entered the women's prayer hall, harassed women at the Shia Imambargah, overstepped his authority by raiding meat shops, harassed Muslims on the streets, and delivered hate speeches."
Kishanpole MLA Amin Kagzi said Balmukundacharya's actions were part of a "nefarious design to disrupt peace."
"This MLA is not only an enemy of Muslims but is also working against you. His actions, which tarnish Jaipur's image, will ultimately harm the city's reputation before investors participating in the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit and tourists visiting from across the globe. If you fail to reprimand him, be ready to face the anger of Jaipurites, including our Hindu brothers," he said.
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