Did any Shaheen Bagh ‘dadi’ condemn Waris Pathan’s ‘15 crore versus 100 crore’ comment: BJP

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 21

The BJP on Friday launched a scathing attack on the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) and claimed that the anti-CAA protests were a “conspiracy” hatched by the party. 

BJP equated AIMMM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi to the Muslim League Council and said his actions were similar to Muhamad Ali Jinnah’s call for “direct action” in August 1946. 

The party also questioned the “silence of liberals” over AIMIM leader Waris Pathan's comments while addressing an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act rally at Kalaburagi in North Karnataka on February 16. 

"We (Muslims) might be less than 15 crores but we can prove a larger force and can overpower the population of 100 crores,” the AIMIM leader was quoted as saying.

“Where are the liberals….why are they silent? Did any Shaheen Bagh ‘dadi’ condemn Waris Pathan's ‘daadagiri’,” said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while addressing a press conference at the party office here.

Patra claimed Pathan’s comment could not have been made without Owaisi’s approval and was similar to Jinnah’s “direct action” call which led to a massacre of “thousands of Hindus in West Bengal”. 

Pathan had later claimed his comments had been reported out of context.

“We all know whose population is 15 crore and who amounts to 100 crore in this country. Why are you trying to instigate violence,” Patra said. 

“Where is the difference between Owaisi and Jinnah?" he added. 

“I feel afraid as it reminds me of August 16, 1946, when Jinnah gave the direct action call and it led to a massacre of thousands of Hindus in Bengal. The week of mayhem was called ‘week of long knives’ in which Hindus were murdered.”

According to the BJP leader, the anti-CAA protests across the country were backed by Owaisi’s party and such comments were not a “coincidence rather a conspiracy”. 

“We are all aware of hatred politics via so-called anti-CAA protests. Whether in Delhi, the so-called Shaheen Bagh or elsewhere what is being discussed behind stage is also being said on stage. Muslims are being used as a cannon fodder by a Pakistan sympathizer,” he said, also referring to the pro-Pakistan slogans raised by a woman at Owaisi’s rally. 

Though AIMIM is believed to have censured Pathan, Patra said every statement and action by its leaders was in consensus with Owaisi. 

“Owaisi equals to AIMIM like the Congress party means the Gandhi family,” he said, also questioning ‘liberals who support the anti-CAA protests’ and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. 

“Why they have not condemned Pathan’s comment so far?” he said. 

It also vindicates that women sitting in Shaheen Bagh are just being used as a shield to further the cause of hatred, Patra added. 

According to reports, Owaisi has pulled up Pathan for his comments and barred him from giving statements in the media until further orders. However, he is yet to publicly condemn the statement.

Meanwhile, also taking a strong exception to Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh government’s diktat to male multi-purpose health workers to either get men to get themselves sterilised or face a salary cut or even compulsory retirement, Patra alleged the senior Congress leader was “experienced at the rioting and forceful sterilisation”.

The directive was a reminder of the Emergency days “when thousands of men were forcibly sterilised”,” he said

“Kamal Nath warning workers to get people for sterilisation or end up losing their jobs is almost akin to what we had seen during the Emergency imposed by the Congress party when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. We have seen as to how forced sterilisation of thousands of men had been done then. Ironically, the Congress party talks of Nazism today. Ironically, they talk of Emergency today while their states (ruled by Congress) have almost forced a state of Emergency upon the people of India…the people of Madhya Pradesh,” Patra said.

The Madhya Pradesh National Health Mission (NHM) has reportedly now withdrawn the bizarre order. 

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