The Shiv Sena Thursday took on AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi for his refusal to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and sought revocation of citizenship and voting rights of those who refuse to chant the sloga
The Shiv Sena Thursday took on AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi for his refusal to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and sought revocation of citizenship and voting rights of those who refuse to chant the slogan even as authorities in Uttar Pradesh denied permission to him to hold two events.
As the row over Mr Owaisi’s recent remark in Latur escalated, the Sena also sought to know from ally BJP leader and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis how Mr Owaisi was allowed to leave the state after “insulting” the country.
In a vitriolic editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said, “Hardik Patel had by mistake disrespected the national flag and he was tried for sedition and is still in jail. Has Asaduddin Owaisi not committed treason as well by insulting mother India The citizenship and voting rights of all those who do not chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ should be revoked.”
“There is a BJP chief minister in the state. He has to answer how was Owaisi allowed to leave Latur after insulting the country,” it said. The Muslim community has remained “backward” due to the ideas propagated by people like Mr Owaisi, the Sena said hitting out at the AIMIM leader.
However, MPCC spokesman Al-Nasser Zakaria alleged that the Sena is only indulging in politics of hypocrisy.
“They (the Sena) should understand that they will be taken seriously, even by their own ally (BJP) after they come clean themselves. Merely chanting slogans won’t make them nationalists,” Mr Zakaria said.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said everybody may not agree with the views of the RSS and the BJP.
“The RSS and the BJP are portraying ‘Bharat Mata’ as a ‘devi’ (goddess) and are expecting all to chant slogans. Everybody may not want to subscribe to this. But nobody would mind praising mother India,” he said.
