New Delhi: Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma on Friday courted a major controversy with his remarks that late president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a great nationalist “despite being a Muslim” with Congress terming the comments as “vicious”.
“We have renamed Aurangzeb Road after a person, who despite being a Muslim, is a great nationalist...,” Mr Sharma told a news channel.
His remarks were sharply criticised by Congress which termed them as “convoluted and vicious”. All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi also demanded Mr Sharma should be made to quit the government for “suspecting nationalism” of Muslims.
Congress Spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said, “Congress and myself, a practising Muslim, want to tell the Prime Minister and his minister Mahesh Sharma that I am a nationalist and so were my father and grandfather and we do not need a certificate from this government to say so.
Mr Owaisi said, “Minister Mahesh Sharma is a culture minister, but is an uncultured man. Is this the opinion of Narendra Modi that this government views 17 crore proud Muslims in India as not being nationalist?”
