Sharanu Salagar was seen posing for pictures while standing on the statue.
A Karnataka BJP MLA is under fire for 'disrespecting' Lord Ram on Thursday, during Ram Navami. Sharanu Salagar, who represents Basavakalyana constituency in the Bidar district of the state, was seen stepping on a statue of Lord Ram to garland the deity. Pictures and videos of him stepping on the statue, seen by many as insulting, started circulating on social media with sharp questions for the BJP.
Sharanu Salagar was seen posing for pictures while standing on the statue, angering several devotees. Congress posted the video on social media and questioned the BJP on its claim of 'Hindutva' and devotion to Lord Ram.
Congress also cited several other instances where it alleges BJP leaders insulted Gods, and asked if they were the defenders of the Hindu religion as they claim to be.
Defending his action, Mr Salagar said he did it on the request of party workers, and that he didn't intend to place his foot on the statue.
The election for the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held on May 10 with results on May 13. It is expected to be a close contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) playing a possible kingmaker role.
The BJP has been fighting with its back against the wall with allegations of widespread corruption in the state, and the Congress is campaigning aggressively to return to power.