No irresponsible statements please, tweets Narendra Modi after Togadia hate speech targeting Muslims

Ahmedabad: Amid a raging controversy over statements by BJP leader Giriraj Singh and VHP leader Pravin Togadia, BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he disapproved of "petty" statements by those claiming to be BJP's well-wishers as they were deviating the campaign.

Giriraj Singh had said that those opposing Modi should be sent to Pakistan while Togadia had asked his supporters to forcibly vacate a house purchased by a Muslim in a Hindu- majority area of Bhavnagar.

Modi's remarks come in a backdrop of Congress and other parties mounting an attack on him and BJP for not coming clean on the statements made by two leaders.

In his tweet, Modi urged people from bringing a bad name to the party by making controversial statements.

On Giriraj Singh's comment, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had said on Monday that he would "prefer to go to Pakistan" than stopping criticism of Modi.

The Congress too approached the Election Commission Monday seeking stern action against Mr Togadia for his “anti-national and provocative” remarks which it said were aimed at helping Mr Narendra Modi and the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. Togadia had made his allegedly venomous remarks while joining a group of VHP and Bajrang Dal members in a street protest in Bhavnagar on Saturday outside a house bought by a Muslim businessman.

The VHP leader reportedly incited the gathering to take forcible possession of the house or to pressure the state government to enforce the Disturbed Areas Act, which makes it tough to sell property to a member of the minority community in a neighbourhood.  Even as some TV channels telecast video clips of his rant, Mr Pravin Togadia himself scampered to issue a legal notice to media houses while maintaining that the media reports of his hate speech were “false, mala fide and mischievous.”