Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has castigated the BJP leader and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath over his alleged “anti- Muslim” speeches and alleged “attempts to instigate communal violence” in the country.
In a statement former Minister and senior PDP leader Naeem Akhter condemned Yogi’s recent speech in which he had stated that if BJP comes to power in Telangana, Asaduddin Owaisi will have to flee. “It is not about Owaisi alone, it is the feeling which is being created across the country due to which a hate campaign against Muslims is being launched. Muslims are not getting places on rent; they are not allowed to purchase houses in good colonies. This has led to forced ghettoisation of Muslims of all classes which in fact means separate community within the country. The fact is that the fanatic groups are trying to create Pakistan within the country itself.”
He also cautioned that such a mindset being exhibited by BJP leaders particularly Yogi Adityanath is very dangerous and can be very harmful to the integrity of the country. “Muslims are here and no power can coerce them to go anywhere else. They are as much the owners of the country, its resources, its land and air as are the people of other faiths. Does this country belong to BJP alone and who is Yogi to tell any person living in India to leave,” Akhter asked.
He slammed the UP Chief Minister over linking Muslims with the militant activities, stating that an impression is conspicuously being given that Muslims are the root cause of all problems the country is facing. “It is worrisome to find that the poison is being spread even to those areas where communities have been living very peacefully in harmony for centuries and it is quite unfortunate that Muslim community is being pushed towards the wall with targeted violence in the form of lynchings, threats and intimidations taking toll,” the PDP leader said.
Akhter added that Owasi is a Member of Parliament and has sworn his allegiance to the constitution and integrity of the country and in spite of that why should he leave Hyderabad even if he were to lose the elections there. “Yogi Adityanath should stop behaving like a proverbial ostrich and instead of suggesting new names of Muslim cities and towns, dragging names of revered personalities of Islam, he should restore a sense of safety among the people of his own state where women are molested in a broad day light and lawlessness is menacingly prevailing all across,” Akhter added.
He said that in their mad rush for saffronizing the country, the fanatic groups are actually trying to break it up and this must be resisted by all rational and sane elements of the country.