"Go To Afghanistan...": Bihar BJP MLA's Swipe At "Those Scared In India"

In a horrific remark, a Bihar BJP MLA on Wednesday said "those who are feeling scared in India" - seen by many as a reference to religious and other minorities in the country, and those critical of the government - "should go to Afghanistan" where the Taliban has seized control.

The shocking comment appeared to be the latest twist on the "go to Pakistan" swipe BJP leaders' have brandished in the past, particularly when faced with criticism of some government policies.

Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, MLA from the Bisfi constituency, declared that the crisis in war-torn Afghanistan would not affect India; instead he claimed it would only highlight "the value of India (when compared to) a situation that women have no rights".

"It won't have any impact on India but those who feel scared here can go there... petrol and diesel are cheaper. Once there, they will understand the value of India," he said, taking a swipe at critics of the BJP government's hike in fuel prices - something the opposition has vehemently protested.

"Even jungles have rules... but the situation there is such that women have no rights. People are clinging to the wings of aircraft to fly out of the country... three even died while attempting this."

And in a second horrific remark, Hari Bhushan Thakur also hit out at JDU leader Gulam Rasool Balyawi's comments urging the government to offer refuge to Afghanis of all religions, saying "India will become Taliban".

"Afghanistan got divided because of unrighteousness (adharma). If the people of this country aren't cautious India will become Afghanistan... it will become Taliban. These people are looking at everything through the perspective of votes. I request these people to look at Afghanistan and learn something from their situation," Hari Bhushan Thakur said.

The Taliban's capture of Afghanistan has led to some heated and crude comments by Indian politicians, including a comment allegedly made by a Samajwadi Party MP from Uttar Pradesh; a sedition case has been filed against Shafiqur Rahman Barq in UP's Sambhal district for alleged remarks that compare the Taliban to India's freedom fighters.

The Taliban took effective control of Afghanistan Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled and the terror group walked into Kabul with no opposition.

It capped a staggeringly fast rout of Afghanistan's major cities in just 10 days, achieved with relatively little bloodshed, following two decades of war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.