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Owaisi flays Yogi for comment on secularism

Owaisi said the Sangh Parivar hailed the Constitution where it suited them to gain power

Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has hit back at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for the latter’s statement on secularism that it prevented India from gaining world recognition.

Addressing the media here on Monday, Owaisi termed Yogi’s comment on secularism “vahiyat” (obnoxious) and said this was an insult to the Constitution, our founding fathers and all those members of the Constituent Assembly.

Owaisi asked the CM: “Petrol, diesel and LPG prices have gone up, jobs are not provided and women are upset. Is it all because the country practised secularism?” He asked whether freedom of thought guaranteed in the preamble of the Constitution did not reflect secularism. “I ask whether Articles 14, 19, 22, 25, 26, 29 and 30 do not reflect secular ideas and values?”

"You are doing Bhumi Pooja in the name of secularism. You being a prime minister or chief minister perform Bhoomi Pooja, are you doing this for upkeep of secularism? Does the government have any religion? India has no religion, it never will. India believes in all religions, it even respects those who do not follow any religion. We say the majority of the people here are secular, that's why India is secular."

The MIM chief said the Sangh Parivar speaks of secularism with a forked tongue. “It was never ready to recognise the diversity of India. On odd days, they say India is secular because the majority of Indians are secular. On even days, they say that secularism has prevented our traditions from winning global recognition.”

Owaisi said the Sangh Parivar hailed the Constitution where it suited them to gain power. “When they got power, their real face emerged. Now the chief minister of UP says that secularism is itself a threat to progress and claims that India is not getting its rightful place in the world because of secularism.”

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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