New Delhi - An Indian lawmaker has appeared in Parliament dressed like Adolf Hitler with a toothbrush moustache and wearing a khaki coat with swastika symbols on his pocket and arm. His demand: More funds for the development of his state in southern India.
Naramalli Sivaprasa also raised his hand in a Nazi salute for the media on Thursday. His appearance did not trigger any protests from legislators.
He said he wanted to send a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to follow Hitler. He complained that Modi had gone back on a promise to provide extra funds for his Andhra Pradesh state.
"He does not get the pulse of what people want and I want to urge him to not be like him (Hitler)," he said.
Modi's government denies the charge.
Indian lawmaker Naramalli Sivaprasa appeared in Parliament dressed like Hitler with a toothbrush moustache and wearing a khaki coat with swastika symbols on his pocket and arm. His demand: More funds for the development of his state in southern India. He said he wanted to send a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to follow Hitler. Picture: AP
In protest, Sivaprasa's powerful regional group, The Telugu Desam Party, broke its alliance with the Modi government in March. It also unsuccessfully tried to bring down the government through a no-confidence motion last month in Parliament.
Sivaprasa is used to dressing up differently, like a farmer, a cattle herder, a Muslim cleric and a woman to press different issues.
Hitler remains a figure of fascination in India, where the Holocaust is not well known, and is widely seen more as a strong leader than a genocidal dictator. His book, "Mein Kampf," can be found in many bookstores, and bootleg copies are regularly sold in the streets of New Delhi and other large cities.