'Vacate mosques or else...': Karnataka BJP leader KS Eshwarappa

Former Karnataka minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa on Sunday once again stoked a controversy after he asked Muslims to vacate the mosques allegedly built on demolished temple lands. He warned them of dire consequences if they failed to do so.

Addressing a Hindu workers' convention in Belagavi, Eshwarappa said, "Two more places, including Mathura, are in consideration. Once the court verdict is delivered, be it today or tomorrow, we will proceed with the construction of temples. There should be no doubt about that".

"For those areas where mosques have been constructed, it would be advantageous if you (Muslims) voluntarily vacate. Otherwise, the repercussions, including how many will be killed and what all would happen, we don't know," the former minister added.

This is not the first time that the BJP firebrand leader has made such communal remarks. In December last year, Eshwarappa made headlines when he echoed a similar stance by stating that not a single mosque built after destroying a temple would be spared in the country.

"Those mosque built after destroying our temples won’t be spared. Not a single such mosque will stand in this country. This is my personal opinion," he said while speaking to reporters in Gadag.

"I will pledge and say India will become a Hindu nation," Eshwarappa had said.

"On January 22, the whole world will look towards Ayodhya. The court proceedings on the matter of the Kashi Vishwanath temple are in favour of Hindus. The order for a survey has been granted for the Krishna temple in Mathura. Everything will happen one after the other," he added.

Eshwarappa had also stirred controversy in April last year when he said that BJP would not need Muslim votes to win Karnataka Assembly elections.