We are Muslims by choice, says Owaisi
■ Ramdev’s ‘Ram is ancestor of Muslims also’ remark baffles MIM chief
MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said on Saturday that he could not understand why certain comments on religion were made. He was reacting to a statement of yoga guru Baba Ramdev — “Lord Ram is the ancestor of not only Hindus but also Muslims”.
Mr Owaisi said, “We are not against anyone’s beliefs but the RSS and Sangh Parivar are spreading wrong propaganda. There is a continuous propaganda which is saying that Muslims were forced into conversion, which is not the case.” “Our forefathers were not forced to become Muslims. They embraced Islam voluntarily. What is the RSS going to get by saying these things? What is the message that they are trying to give,” Mr Owaisi said.
Mr Owaisi who interacted with youth in the morning in the Old City said, “Is the Constitution of India bigger or is it your thinking which must be honoured? The Constitution grants everyone the right to follow the religion they want.”
Mr Owaisi’s speech in the Lok Sabha during the motion of thanks to the President’s address stirred a controversy as he asked questions about the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest honour. He has pointed out that most of the Bharat Ratna conferees were either Brahmins or belonged to the upper castes.
He said, “It is high time there are norms and parameters for conferring the Bharat Ratna.”