BJP minister sparks outrage with anti-Muslim hate speech in India
Nitesh Rane called Muslims “green snakes” and rejected religious harmony during speech at Hindu nationalist gathering
MUMBAI, India (MNTV) — A senior leader from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sparked outrage after delivering an inflammatory anti-Muslim speech in western India in which he referred to Muslims as “green snakes,” rejected religious coexistence and urged Hindus to become more hardline.
Nitesh Rane, a minister in Maharashtra state and BJP lawmaker, made the remarks during a Sambhaji Jayanti event organized by Hindu nationalist groups in Mumbai.
Addressing the gathering, Rane openly dismissed the idea of communal harmony and equal respect for different religions, concepts long associated with India’s constitutional secular framework.
“The interests of Hindus come first and foremost. There is no brotherhood and no equal respect for all religions,” he said during the speech. “Whoever believes in this should go to Pakistan. There is no need to live here.”
Rane also used derogatory language against Muslims, referring to them as “green snakes” and “jihadis,” while encouraging Hindus to become more hardliners.
In another controversial remark, Rane said, “This is Mahadev’s land. Only ‘I Love Mahadev’ will continue, not ‘I Love Muhammad’,” appearing to reference earlier religious slogan disputes and communal tensions in parts of India.
Videos of the speech circulated widely on social media, triggering criticism from Muslim groups and civil rights advocates who accused the BJP leader of openly promoting communal hatred and demonizing India’s Muslim minority.
Rane has previously faced criticism over provocative anti-Muslim rhetoric, reflecting a broader pattern of incendiary speeches by Hindu nationalist politicians in India in recent years. Rights advocates and Muslim groups have repeatedly warned that such rhetoric contributes to growing hostility, social polarization and attacks targeting India’s Muslim minority.
Communal speeches invoking Pakistan, “jihad,” and loyalty narratives have become increasingly common in Indian political discourse under BJP rule, particularly during elections, religious processions and Hindu nationalist events.
Analysts and rights groups say such rhetoric often frames Indian Muslims as outsiders or internal threats despite the community making up more than 200 million people in the country.
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