Amid protests against the CAA, a video of AIMIM leader Waris Pathan allegedly saying 15 crore Muslims can dominate 100 crore (widely construed to be a reference to the majority population) has gone viral, triggering a backlash from the BJP which said such threats do not work in new India. He purportedly made these comments while addressing an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act rally at Kalaburagi in North Karnataka on February 16.
"We have to move together. We have to take Azadi [freedom], things that we don't get by asking, we have to take it by force, remember it," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul- Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader can be purportedly heard saying in Hindi.
"Now time has come, we are told that we have sent our mothers and sisters in the front and were sitting covered in blanket...only our lionesses have come out and you are already sweating, understand what will happen if we come together. We may be 15 crore, but dominate 100 crore, remember it," he is heard saying.
Pathan has claimed he has been quoted out of context. "I hereby wish to state that the media reports on TV channels showing my statement made in the public meeting at Gulbarga five days back have totally quoted me out of context," Pathan claimed on late Thursday evening.
"I wish to reiterate that I can never say anything intentionally or unintentionally that hurts the sentiments of any caste, community or gender. I am a proud Indian and respect the plurality of this country," he said.
While admitting that he has been angry like many Indians that the Centre is neglecting issues concerning CAA, NRC and NPA, the former MLA from Mumbai said, "Neither me nor my party supports anything that creates a divide between people on the basis of caste, creed and religion."
The saffron party on Thursday tweeted @BJP4Maharashtra, saying, "Waris Pathan, who are you threatening to? Shiv Sena led government may tolerate your comments; but BJP and people of Maharashtra will teach you a lesson that your hate- mongering speeches will be shut."
Parismal Deshpande, a BJYM worker, submitted a written application at the Deccan Gymkhana police station, demading action against Pathan for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and outraging religious feelings of a community.
Deshpande, in his complaint stated, "The statement by Pathan promotes violence and create a divide between two communities. Because of such statements, there are possibilities of atmosphere getting vitiated. Hence, he should be booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups, 295A (outraging religious feelings), and 504 (provoking breach of the peace)," Deshpande said in the complaint.
An officer from the Deccan police station confirmed receiving the application.
-Inputs from PTI
