AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday took exception to Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s criticism over people leading protests on Citizenship Amendment Act, claiming such remarks undermine the government.
Maintaining that Army should not interfere in civilian issues, he said by that yardstick, even the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the struggle against Emergency as a student would be wrong.
The Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said that as per Constitution, the Army should not interfere in civilian issues, and that the right to protest was a fundamental right.
It is a known fact and the Constitution also demands that in a civilian matter the Army will not interfere... That is the difference between India as a functional democracy and other South Asian democracies. Please don’t interfere in civilian matters... the right to protest is a democratic right, he said.
He was responding to a question about the Army chief’s comments at a health summit at the national capital. Mr. Rawat had said that leadership was not about guiding masses, including students to carry out arson and violence.
Mr. Owaisi said the government should take note of Mr. Rawat’s comments which, according to him, are undermining the ruling dispensation.
“Whatever the Army chief says, it is undermining the Modi Government,” he said.
“If what the Army chief says is true, then I want to point to the government, that our Prime Minister writes in his website that he participated in the struggle during the Emergency as student... according to him (Mr. Rawat) that is also wrong,” Mr. Owaisi added.
The MIM leader added that Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan gave a call to all, including students, to take part in the anti-Emergency stir in 1975, and that the government will have to explain that too.
On RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments that the Sangh regards the 130 crore population of India as a Hindu society irrespective of their religion and culture, Mr. Owaisi said as per the Constitution, India cannot have a religion.
Mohan Bhagwat may not have the Indian Constitution. There is right to equality, right to life. These will celebrate India’s pluralism and diversity. Why is there Article 26, 29 and 30? Because, this country does not have a religion, he said.
“RSS wants India to only have one religion. That will not happen until the Constitution made by Ambedkar exists. This land believes in all religions,” he added.
