Azam: Modi talks of peace, his foot soldiers spreading hatred

Lucknow: Hitting out at Narendra Modi for being silent on the issue of alleged forced conversion by Hindutava forces, UP parliamentary affairs and minority welfare minister Azam Khan on Thursday said that while ‘badshah’ (king) of the country was roaming around the world talking about peace and development, back home he had left his foot soldiers free to run a hate campaign, which would not only hit Muslims but other minorities as well.
Addressing representatives of various religious minorities on the Minorities Rights Day, Khan repeatedly called Sangh Parivar of having `Talibani' mindset and mocked at VHP leaders, ‘who have announced to turn all minorities into Hindus by 2017 and award for Hindus who will produce more children to increase population’, saying ‘mardanagi’ (masculinity) and not award is required to produce children."
On Modi, Khan said "the ‘badshah’ had not fulfilled any promise he made during elections but given full freedom to Sakshis and Yogis with criminal antecedents to spread hatred. The country of 125 crore people is sitting on a powder keg and one spark may devastate it."
Recalling the remark made by former Congress prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, who after 1984 anti-Sikh riots following assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi, had said `Jab bada ped girta hai toh, zameen hiliti hai' (The earth shakes when ever a big tree falls), Khan said "We have to tell the world that injustice to minorities is not just about Muslims alone but others as well."
Religious conversion, he said, is bad for all. He also said that Muslims in India had the option to go to Pakistan formed on the basis of religion but stayed back because India is our motherland. Bapu, Nehru, Patel and Azad stopped us from going. But the recent developments (conversion issue) are alarming. We should not allow situation to go out of hand which may make many to rethink their decision," he said.
Azam also recalled `Shuddhi movement' of 1920s when Hindu groups had launched a campaign to convert Muslims into Hindus. "Shuddhi movement had caused lot of bloodshed. We need to take lessons from the past. India is ruled by a constitution and not a religious book," he said.
On Peshwar School Massacre, Khan said that terrorism will end only when all the super powers will came together to solve it.