(Image source from: DNA India)

Amid the ongoing scuffle between the Center and the opposition over recently released Assam National Register of Citizens of India final draft list of eligible citizens, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA (Member of Legislature) Raja Singh said that in a bid to keep India safe, Rohingya and Bangladeshi illegal immigrants should be shot dead.

On Tuesday, Telangana MLA Raja Singh said "If these Rohingyas and Bangladeshi illegal immigrants do not leave India respectfully, then they should be shot & eliminated. Then only our country will be safe."

Singh's statement was slammed by the opposition parties and umpteen social media users, for inciting violence over the sensitive issue.

Govt will do the required procedure to identify & #deport all those #illegal #Immigrants if any,
Meanwhile statements like above r not in tune with the #Indian #democracy@HMOIndia should take note of these elected #hate mongers & promoters of fears amongst the #communities @UN

— Azimuddin Khan (@meee_mumbaikar) July 31, 2018

For sake of argument What if a someone says all Indians in other countries must be shot down if they don't leave peacefully, how will he be tagged? Terrorist , right!

— MiIndiya (@milndiya) July 31, 2018

This is not the first time the BJP member Singh made a controversial statement. Earlier, Singh said incidents of lynching will not stop till the time cow gets the status of "Rashtra Mata".

"Till cow is not accorded the status of 'Rashtra Mata', I feel the war for 'gau Raksha' (cow protection) will not stop even if 'gau rakshaks' (cow protectors) are put into jails or bullets are fired at them," Singh said.

Raja Singh is a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, representing the Goshamahal assembly constituency in Hyderabad. He is also the party whip for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Telangana.

By Sowmya Sangam