Bharatiya Janata Party’s member in Legislative Council, Bukkal Nawab, on Thursday sparked a new controversy by calling Lord Hanuman a Muslim.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had in a recent election rally described Lord Hanuman as a forest dweller and a Dalit.

“Lord Hanuman belongs to all, and as far as I think, Hanumanji was actually a Muslim,” Bukkal Nawab, who had left the Samajwadi Party to join the BJP after the Yogi Adityanath Government came to power, told a select group of mediapersons.

He argued that the deity’s name was very similar to the names among Muslims and many of them were named after him.

“Hamara manana hai Hanuman ji Musalman the. Isliye Musalmanon ke andar jo naam rakha jata hai... Rehman, Ramzan, Farman, Zishan, Qurban... jitne bhi naam rakhey jaate hain, woh karib karib unhi par rakhe jaate hain,” he said.

Nawab, 64, who publicly offered prayers at a Hanuman temple last year, is the latest political figure to have spoken on Lord Hanuman’s identity.

While campaigning during the recent Assembly election, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had reportedly said, “Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west.”

On December 4, former BJP MP Savitribai Phule had taken exception to the manner in which the deity was depicted.

“Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and a slave of manuwadis. He was a Dalit and a human. He did everything for Lord Ram, then why was he given a tail and a blackened face?” she asked.

A Jain priest in Bhopal has claimed Lord Hanuman was neither a Dalit nor a tribal, but a Jain.

Bukkal Nawab had given up his Legislative Council seat to pave the way for a BJP Minister to become a legislator within the stipulated six-month period and continue in the Government. After openly supporting the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the prominent Shia politician last year donated a 30-kg brass bell at a famous Hanuman temple. He offered prayers there, prompting the Samajwadi Party to comment: “It is nothing but a publicity stunt. He is hopping from one temple to another to hog media limelight.”

When the BJP returned the favour and gave him ticket in Legislative Council biennial elections, he said, “My wish has been fulfilled by Lord Hanuman.”

During the 2017 UP Assembly poll campaign, Bukkal Nawab had caused a stir by saying he would be happy to see a Ram temple come up at the disputed site in Ayodhya and he would help in the cause by carrying the first brick for the temple at Ayodhya. He also promised to contribute Rs 15 crore towards the temple’s construction and a ‘mukut’ (crown) for Lord Ram.

Reacting to Nawab’s statement, Sharad Sharma of VHP said that the MLC’s claim on deity pointed that the Muslims were forced to adopt the religion and they should now return to their original religion.

He said that probably Bukkal Nawab wanted to send a message among members of his community that their ancestors were followers of Lord Hanuman so after coming under the deity’s umbrella, they could achieve happiness and success.