Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi’s controversial remarks at Khalilabad, (UP), on Thursday about conducting DNA tests of Muslims who do not vote for the party has evoked strong condemnation from across political parties on Friday. While the BJP said that Azmi was trying to hoodwink minorities to his party fold, the Congress approached the Election Commission against Azmi’s statement
Taking strong exception to Azmi’s controversial comment, senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain asked him why he was trying to act as “pope of Muslims.” In Mumbai, an undeterred Azmi went on with his rant this time saying true Muslims cannot vote for the BJP.
“Abu Azmi should get his DNA test conducted first,” he said in a caustic remark on the SP leader. The BJP leader alleged that by making “provoking” statements Azmi was trying to “hoodwink” minorities to his party fold.
Strongly differing with Azmi, Hussain said that by voting to any party a Muslim does not get “jaanat or jahannum” (heaven or hell) but rather the vote makes the world better. The BJP minority Muslim face asked Azmi and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav why were they silent over Muzaffarnagar riots.
Citing Azmi’s comment as one of the reasons which can derail free and fair conduct of poll, the BJP asked the Election Commission to ensure adequate deployment of Central security forces on all polling booths in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Replying to a query that the EC ordered the FIR against Modi with a biased approach, Prasad said, “We have full respect for EC but the poll body should have first enquired about the incident and then ordered for registering an FIR. When leaders like Abu Azmi and Azam Khan gives hate speeches and remarks, why doesn’t this Congress complain to the Election commission,” he asked.
The AICC in its complaint to EC said: “In a country like ours, which has been founded on the principles of secularism, being the basic structure of the Constitution, such statement by Abu Azmi is totally deplorable and condemnable, apart from being against the unity and integrity of India.”
Quoting Azmi as having also said that if any Muslim opposes the Samajwadi Party, his DNA should be tested to see if he is an RSS man, the Secretary of AICC legal department KC Mittal said that though the RSS is well known for their “divisive activities” such a statement further promotes enmity between communities, castes and religion.
“Such activities should be curbed and dealt with strongly to preserve the unity and integrity of India,” he said asking the Commission to take a serious note of statement made by Azmi as also other organisations who indulge in such activities.
When asked to react on Azmi’s DNA comment, Congress spokesman Raj Babbar took the opportunity to take a dig at BJP PM nominee Narendra Modi and said when he was making mockery of democracy by justifying his display of lotus after voting by giving logic he did not show a knife or a gun what to talk about others.