Hyderabad: A war of words has broken out between All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. Mr Owaisi countered Mr Sarma on his reply over NRC issue who has reacted stating that India shall forever remain a home for persecuted Hindus, irrespective of former opposition.
Mr Owaisi said the minister has unfortunately shown his ignorance about the Constitution of India and his arrogance because he believes inthe ideology of Hindutva. Nowhere in the laws related to citizenship is the word ‘religion’ mentioned.
He challenged the Assamese minister and anyone from the Sangh Parivar to show him where religion is mentioned in the law.
Mr Owaisi pointed out that citizenship is not given on the basis of religion. He said the Sangh Parivar ideologues should read the Constituent Assembly debates and read what Sardar Patel had said.
Sardar Patel had said it is important to remember that the process of citizenship will be scrutinised all over the world. The Constituent Assembly had rejected the racial principle adopted by South Africa at that time.
The Assamese minister and his party have proposed to bring amendments to the Citizenship Act to take India into that dishonoured league of the then government of South Africa, Mr Owaisi said.
