Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has courted controversy by stating that "we" will treat all those who hail India as brothers but would not step back from taking the lives of those who speak against the nation.
He was speaking on Saturday at an event of party workers in Bangrot here.
"We are not opponents of anybody. All those who say Bharat Mata ki Jai are our brothers and we can lay down our lives for them. But those will speak against Bharat Mata, we will not step back from even taking their lives," the BJP general secretary said.
Slamming the Congress, he said the party used to taunt with questions about when the Ram Temple would come up in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
All those who contend that Lord Ram is an imaginary figure must go to Ayodhya in January, when the grand temple is set to be consecrated, in order to cleanse themselves of their sins.
Hailing the Union government for bringing peace in Kashmir, Vijayvargiya said everyone was aware of the situation that prevailed in the restive region earlier.
"Now, the Tricolour is being hoisted atop every home there," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
