New Delhi: Union Minister Giriraj Singh took aim at AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, accusing him of fuelling tensions by ending his Lok Sabha oath with the ‘Jai Palestine’ slogan.
Singh claimed that this act led to the waving of the Palestine flag during Muharram in Bihar’s Nawada and criticized Congress and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for their silence on the matter.
Speaking with ANI, the veteran BJP leader said, “If an experienced MP like Owaisi says ‘Jai Palestine’ inside the Parliament while taking the oath, then it is natural that the number of such people will increase in the country.”
Reportedly, three people have been arrested for waving a Palestinian flag during a procession ahead of Muharram in Bihar’s Nawada after a video of the same went viral on social media.
“I congratulate the Bihar government on this whole matter that they have started taking strict action against waving the Palestine flag during Muharram in Nawada. But why are the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav not speaking about it? Because they have taken the votes of minority Muslims. So all this ruckus will happen,” he added.
Giriraj Singh also lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “When Congress’s Yuvraj Rahul Gandhi openly defends Muslims, then the country will be divided for this day. If slogans of ‘Mohammad Saheb Zindabad’ have to be raised on the occasion of Muharram, then it is the misfortune of the country. This is fundamentalism, and Rahul Gandhi will call Hindus fundamentalists, but Rahul Gandhi’s will not say anything about Amethi. This country will never tolerate the tukde-tukde gang. Be it Akhilesh Yadav or Rahul Gandhi, there should be no misunderstanding,” Singh said.
The BJP leader also recalled that stones were allegedly thrown at Ram Navami processions in the past.
“For the last 12 to 13 years, when the procession of Ram Navami is taken out on the Hindu festival, stones have been thrown at the procession. When an MP says ‘Jai Palestine’ in Parliament, such incidents will increase and strict action should be taken. Action should also be taken against Owaisi,” he added.
Addressing the recent violence in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Singh said, “There has been a huge uproar in Kolhapur due to a clash between two communities over the removal of encroachment on a mausoleum. There are reports of violence and arson, and heavy security forces have been deployed.”
He further stated, “I think that due to appeasement, mausoleums are being built anywhere in the country. When the tombs in Uttarakhand were demolished, no skeleton was found. Building a mausoleum is a form of land jihad. Has it become Pakistan or Bangladesh within India? Some are calling it Palestine, and some are making a mausoleum. The tukde-tukde gang is supporting them.”
On the topic of the Emergency, Singh said, “We will never forget the emergency, as it is a black spot in India’s history. Congress and Indira Gandhi imposed the emergency. We remember it not just for the last 10 years but every year, as democracy must be saved. A power like Congress must be weakened and removed. While Congress did not remove poverty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought 25 crore people above the poverty line. Whether Modi goes to Ambani’s function or elsewhere, if Modi lives, he lives for the poor. Every breath of Narendra Modi is for the poor. He has experienced poverty and lives for the poor.”
