By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has taken strong exception to the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s statement about Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on a Muslim being elevated to the top post of Prime Minister of India.
The SDPI General Secretary A. Sayeed in a Press statement released on Thursday said that Rahul’s remarks of merit and capability being the main criteria to hold the top post for any person from any community including Muslim is a very matured comment and needs no elaboration, even though the issue is hypothetical.
When asked how much time it will take for India to get its first Muslim Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi had said during an interaction with students of the Aligarh Muslim University two days back that, “it is not about what religion or community you come from, it is what you bring to the table, what capability you have.”
“Today, Manmohan Singh is not the Prime Minister of India because he is a Sikh. He is the Prime Minister because he is the most capable person to do the job,” Rahul had said.
Responding to this Bal Thackeray in an editorial in his Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday said:”Rahul is not the owner of the country. He should ensure that Muslims follow a common civil code, family planning, support Ram temple at Ayodhya and Vande Mataram is made compulsory for them. Only then a Muslim can become the PM”. “The way Muslims are being appeased, it is clear that India is no longer secular but an undeclared Islamic state,” he said.
Sayeed said that a sick mind as that of Bal Thackeray has put many riders before a Muslim can ascend to the post of Prime Minister of India. Trying to mix religion with politics, he has kept aside the merit and capability issue and put religious issues which are alien to Islam to block Muslims from aspiring to be Prime Minister of India one day.
The self appointed maverick who apparently considers himself to be above law wants to brow-beat Muslims by his incoherent, unjustified and uncalled for stand on the issue, the statement said.