Islamophobic Remarks :
Sakshi Maharaj is a politician with the Bharatiya Janata Party and a self-described godman. He is well-known for frequently making anti-Muslim and anti-Christian remarks and is one of India’s top Islamophobes. He was elected from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, in both the general elections of 2014 and 2020.
In addition, he oversees a vast network of ashrams and schools throughout the state and enjoys great popularity among his followers.
In 1992, Sakshi Maharaj took part in the campaign to destroy the Babri Mosque.
Maharaj and two of his nephews were accused of gang raping a woman in 2000, according to a police complaint submitted by the principal of an Etah college. While traveling from Etah to Agra, the godman attacked the woman and her male companion. Maharaj was charged with rape and spent a month in Tihar jail before being released.
A follower of his ashram lodged a second rape charge against him in Farrukhabad in 2005. The Mainpuri-born woman is adamant that Sakshi Maharaj sexually assaulted her at the ashram, taking advantage of her.
He is charged with corruption as well. STAR TV revealed in December 2005 that it had conducted a sting operation and discovered that several lawmakers were embezzling money intended for their constituents. Among the eleven listed parliamentarians was Sakshi Maharaj, a member of the Rajya Sabha at the time. Sakshi had pledged money for a non-existent organization. Sakshi was voted out of the Rajya Sabha on March 21, 2006, despite Sakshi’s apologies being rejected for breaking the code of conduct.
In addition, he is charged with the murders of Brahm Dutt Dwivedi, a prominent BJP figure, and Sujata Verma, a principal who formerly oversaw one of his colleges.
In the years since he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014, he has made statements such as calling Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse a patriot, accusing madrasas of teaching terrorism and “love jihad,” urging Hindu women to defend their faith by bearing at least four children, and announcing that the killing of cows and the conversion of Muslims and Christians to Islam and Christianity would soon be capital crimes.
“Muslim youth in madrasas are being motivated for “love jihad” with offers of cash rewards — Rs 11 lakh for an “affair” with a Sikh girl, Rs 10 lakh for a Hindu girl, and Rs 7 lakh for a Jain girl. Government should stop giving them financial aid.”
“Those (Muslims) with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population. Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country.”
“Whether for one, two, three or four kids… unless we have a common law for everyone, the country will not benefit…So both the government and the opposition should come together to bring a strict law and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right,”
“There are around 2 to 2.5 crore ‘sadhus’ in the country and if we start building ‘samadhis’ for all of them, one can imagine the amount of land that will be needed. Similarly, there are 20 crore Muslims in India, and if all have to be buried, then what about the land availability They should burn their dead?”
“A law will be passed in Parliament in which anyone indulging in cow slaughter and conversion will be punished with the death sentence.”