Savarkar Was Not a Religious Man, His Lifestyle Wouldn't Sit Well with BJP: Rashid Alvi

New Delhi- Congress leader Rashid Alvi addressed several key issues in a conversation with media. He also reacted to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's criticism of RSS and BJP using Veer Savarkar as a reference. Alvi stated that Savarkar was not a religious man, and his lifestyle would be hard for the BJP to digest. However, he added that there's no point in reopening these chapters of history today.

Owaisi has claimed that the government could seize mosques and dargahs, which is why the Waqf law is being introduced. Alvi commented, "The amendment to the Waqf Board allows the government to take over properties of dargahs and mosques, which is why this law is being brought in. This is unfortunate and unconstitutional."

When asked about Owaisi's statement that "those who were cowardly fled to Pakistan," Alvi responded that before India's partition, a large number of people had voted for the Muslim League. Those who voted for the Muslim League eventually moved to Pakistan. He emphasized that Congress has never claimed to be a party solely for Hindus. Even when Congress was fighting against Jinnah, it maintained that it was a party for both Hindus and Muslims. Leaders like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru assured Muslims that there was no need to go to Pakistan, as Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians would have equal rights in India. This is why everyone continues to live together.

In Karnataka, communal tensions flared after the death of a nurse. The postmortem report confirmed that she was murdered. BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai labeled the incident as "love jihad," accusing the Congress government of allowing such incidents to rise since coming to power. In response, Alvi demanded that BJP leaders provide evidence to support such claims. If they fail to do so, action should be taken against them. He also questioned the meaning of "love jihad."

Regarding the suspension of internet services in Birbhum district, West Bengal, following violent clashes between two groups, Alvi called the incident unfortunate and held the state government responsible. He praised the understanding between Hindu and Muslim communities in Uttar Pradesh, where Holi was celebrated peacefully, and Friday prayers were conducted without any issues.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan recently stated that the country needs not just two, but multiple languages. He accused MK Stalin of politicizing the Hindi language. Responding to this, Alvi said that those who oppose Hindi are also driven by politics, as are those who try to impose it. He emphasized that India has hundreds of languages, and all should be respected. People from North India should learn South Indian languages, and vice versa. However, this can only happen if North Indians take the first step and start learning Southern languages.

(Source- IANS)