BJP MLA tears Bangladesh flag on stage, stokes ‘demographic change’ fears at Goa event

“I was reading a statement made by the Governor of this state. He said the percentage of Muslims in Goa, which was 3 per cent 10-15 years ago, has now risen to 12 per cent. This is something to consider and carefully think about…,” Raja Singh said, referring to remarks made by Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai at a church event in Kochi in September, where he recalled asking the Archbishop of Goa to look into why the Christian population in the state had gone down while its Muslim population went up.

Raja Singh then claimed, “In the next 20-25 years, if Hindus follow ‘hum do hamare do’ dictum, then they will suffer the same fate and atrocities as Hindus in Pakistan.”

He claimed that if Muslim population in India kept rising and “if their MPs are 300, then which community will the Prime Minister be from? Unka hi hoga, na (from their’s, right)? … And in countries where ‘their’ Prime Minister is elected, what has been the condition of Hindus… History is witness to that.”

The Opposition Congress had earlier appealed to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to cancel Raja Singh’s visit to the state, calling him a “polarising figure with a history of hate speech and communal rhetoric”. On Friday, the Congress had said the visit could trigger communal tensions and harm Goa’s reputation as a peaceful destination.

The former president of the Congress’s Goa unit, Girish Chodankar, had said, “Goa is known globally for its communal harmony and peaceful coexistence. By inviting someone like T Raja Singh, who has faced accusations of promoting hate speech and communal violence, the BJP is jeopardising this cherished legacy.”

In his 48-minute speech on Sunday, Raja Singh appealed to members of the Christian community to “join our cause” to fight against “love jihad”.

He also mentioned Bangladesh, alleging that Hindus in the neighbouring country were being killed and their shops looted. “They are appealing for help. I want to say that ‘Bajrangi’ is ready to fight for the protection of Hindus in Bangladesh. Modi ji, just open the gates for 15 minutes and we will do it,” he said.

Tearing a flag of Bangladesh on stage, he said, “Whoever comes up against India will suffer the same fate.”

He also pulled out a sword and said, “This sword is not just to be kept in its sheath. This should be in the home of every Hindu.”