Lucknow: Noting that the Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of the religion, caste, gender and birthplace, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya has said that the exponents of a Hindu rashtra were “enemies” of the country.
He further claimed India and Pakistan were separated not because of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, but because of the Hindu Mahasabha’s demand for two separate nations.
The former Uttar Pradesh minister made these statements Sunday while speaking to the media following a Buddha Mahotsav at Banda’s GIC Ground.
“We raise the slogan of ‘Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaayi, sab hain aapas mein bhai-bhai’ (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are all brothers). If the Hindu talks about a Hindu rashtra (nation), then why not the Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist or Jain? Those talking about a Hindu rashtra are enemies of the country,” he said.
Maurya added that the Hindu Mahasabha — whose national president was Savarkar — had talked about a Hindu rashtra. This, he said, led to the creation of India and Pakistan on the basis of two-nation theory.
“They talked about it and India and Pakistan were created. India and Pakistan were separated not because of Jinnah, but because the Hindu Mahasabha had demanded two separate nations…this is why India and Pakistan came into being on the basis of the two-nation theory,” the SP leader said.
The OBC (other backward class) leader said that the socially backward communities were called ‘neech’ (despicable), ‘adham’ (lowly) and insulted and deprived of education in the name of religion.
“Can we not express our pain? When we express our pain, the contractors of religion twist (our comments) and ask why I have a problem,” the Samajwadi Party MLC said.
Asked by a reporter to give details of people resorting to the politics of religion, Maurya claimed that, “…a CM sitting in power and the ‘dharmacharyas’ (seers) of the country are misleading people from time and time and are making the ‘impure’ effort to snatch power.”
To a media query about the prime minister’s stand on the Israel-Palestine crisis, Maurya said that Modi should be first concerned about the issues of India like eradicating poverty and ensuring jobs for youngsters.
“Mananiya (respectable) Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not sell off the country but Modi ji has started selling off the resources of the country. Hence, today, if you want to save the country, save the Constitution and democracy. Then, we have to drive the BJP away from power,” he said.
“He is a respectable PM. He wants to be concerned about the arrangement outside the country; he can do it… But first, he should be concerned about our country, about eradicating poverty in the country and giving government jobs to youngsters and to save the country from inflation. He should make a move to stop the sale of the country. Had he done it, I could have thanked him but he is not doing anything like that and instead indulging in ‘hawa-hawaayi’ (gift of gab),” Maurya alleged.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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