Union minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Thursday courted controversy when he claimed that all Indians were descendants of Lord Ram.

Giriraj offered his theory while urging Muslims to come forward and support the construction of a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

Giriraj also claimed that no Indian could be a descendant of Babur, the founder of the Mughal empire and after whom was named Babri Masjid that was demolished by kar sevaks in 1992.

Speaking to The Telegraph on the sidelines of a book release function here on Thursday, Giriraj said that some Indians might have converted to other religions, but all of them were descendants of Lord Ram.

He maintained that Hindu sentiments would be hurt if the Ram temple was not constructed at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram.

Asked to explain what he meant by saying that “Hindu sentiments would be hurt”, the Union minister said: “I have said what I had to say.”

Earlier in the day, a regional TV news channel had aired a report quoting Giriraj as saying that if Hindu sentiments were hurt, “anything can happen”.

The statement of the BJP leader, who represents Nawada in the Lok Sabha, has come a couple of weeks before the Supreme Court commences hearing on the Ayodhya land dispute case.

Sources in the state BJP said the official line of the party was that it stood for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya but since the matter was in the apex court, the BJP would like to wait and watch.

A senior BJP functionary sought to distance himself from Giriraj, saying what the minister had said might be his personal opinion.

Giriraj is known for his controversial statements, the most glaring being when he said in 2014 that those opposing Narendra Modi as Prime Minister would have to go to Pakistan after the general elections.