Yogi govt distances itself from minister's 'burqa' statement

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government has distanced itself from the statement given by UP minister Raghuraj Singh that burqas should be banned.

UP government spokesman and minister Siddhartha Nath Singh said that the minister's statements reflected his personal views.

"It is certainly not the views of the government. We believe that everyone should have the freedom to choose their clothes. As for the minister, I feel he should exercise restraint is making such statements," Singh said.

Meanwhile, several women protesters at the Clock Tower, on Monday, said that the minister's statements reflected the mentality of his party.

"If the burqa is unacceptable, why is the BJP sending its supporters in burqa to anti-CAA protest sites. Why did BJP worker Gunjan Kapoor wear a burqa to Shaheen Bagh?" asked a protester.

The minister had said that burqas were being used by 'terrorists' to conceal their identity, apparently in reference to protests by women protesting against CAA in the Shahjamal area in Agra.

The minister had further explained that wearing a burqa started in Arabian countries and is not an Indian custom. He added India should ban its use and pointed out that even Sri Lanka had banned it after a series of bomb blasts ripped the country last year, leaving many dead and injuring scores of people.

This is not the first time when the minister has made a controversial statement. He had earlier said people raising slogans against Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath "would be buried alive". He had said this while addressing a rally in Aligarh to create awareness about the CAA.

He had also said that anti-national elements will 'die a dog's death'.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Sangeet Som said on Monday that no matter what happens , every citizen will have to produce documents to prove his or her citizenship.