Muslim cleric offers counter bounty of Rs 22 lakh on BJP youth leader's head

Even before the controversy over a BJP youth wing leader announcing a bounty on Mamata Banerjee settled down, the Imam of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Shahi Mosque offered a counter bounty. Noor-ur Rehman Barkati said that he would give Rs 22 lakh to anyone bringing him the head of Yogesh Varshney for his comments on West bengal chief minister.

'Mamata Banerjee is our respected leader and I consider her as my sister. I will pay Rs 22 lakh to anyone who brings me the head of the BJP leader. It is expected that fascist RSS-BJP will be speaking the language of hoodlums,'



Noor-ur Rehman Barkati told the media. He is one of the most influential Muslim clerics in the state of West Bengal. Barkati is infamous for issuing fatwas against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and author Salman Rushdie.

Barkati's statements were in retaliation to BJP youth wing leader Yogesh Varshney. The BJP man had offered a bounty of Rs 11 lakh on Mamata Banerjee's head while expressing anger against lathi charge that was carried out on a group of people on Hanuman Jayanti. The issue was raised in the parliament and came as an embarrassment to the BJP.