Minister Ompal Nehra sacked for asking ‘Muslims should help in building temples’

Lucknow: Minister Ompal Nehra has been sacked by Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav, after his comment that Muslims must give up their claims on mosques in Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi and help build temples in those places.

According to report published in NDTV, the minister made the comment on Thursday at a function in Bijnore.

Mr Nehra had said, “Where can a Ram temple be built if not at Ayodhya? Muslims should help in building a Ram temple in Ayodhya and a Krishna temple in Mathura and give up their claim on mosques there. In fact I would say that Muslims should join Kar Seva (volunteer) for the Ram temple.”

The VHP, an affiliate of the ruling BJP as part of the RSS has campaigned for years for a temple at the site in Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid once stood, and was destroyed by Hindu fanatics in 1992.

Truckloads of stones arrived in the city on Sunday, even as police said it was monitoring the situation.