Senior Congress leader and former Governor of Uttrakhand and UP, Aziz Qureshi hailed Narendra Modi for his surprise visit to Pakistan. He even admitted that despite some instances of `intolerance’, Muslims enjoyed freedom and felt safe in India even when a RSS-backed government was at the helm. Qureshi was speaking to the media at VVIP guest house in lucknow on Tuesday afternoon.
“Modi has played a masterstroke by making the surprise visit to Pakistan,” stressed Qureshi and added that it was his personal view and had nothing to do with Congress.
He said that subversive forces who were against restoration of peace in Pakistan, reacted by way of raiding the Pathankot air base. He felt that Modi should continue with his efforts to maintain friendly ties with Pakistan.
Hailing the Modi government, Qureshi said that barring a few incidents of `intolerance’, India continued to be the safest place for Muslims and all communities. ``Go to Pakistan to see how people were living under the shadow of terror in the name of Islam. India has been known for it secular credentials and I can say that even when a RSS-backed government is at the Centre, still Muslims are secured and free in this country,” he asserted.
Attacking the state government for renaming Kashi Ram Urdu Arabi and Farsi University and withdrawing the Urdu faculty from the College, the former Governor said that he would fight to restore the prestige of the Urdu language.
“Urdu is a popular language amongst the people of this country. Majority of Muslims use it in comparison to Arabi or Farsi.Hence withdrawing Urdu from the university is a direct insult to one of the most respected languages of the country which will not be tolerated.”
When asked whether he felt that Governor Ram Naik was indulging in politics and hindering the working of the SP government, Qureshi outrightly denied it. ``Ram Naik is a veteran and seasoned politician. He can never create hurdles for anyone,” asserted Qureshi, while hailing the stand taken by Naik on several issues.