If Muslims know how to maintain peace, they also know how to end it: AIMIM MLA

He could be referring to a recent incident of firing in Malegaon

mufti-ismael screengrab

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Mufti Mohammad Ismail raked up a controversy with an inflammatory statement that if Muslims know how to maintain peace, they also know how to end the same.

In a video that has gone viral, Ismail, MLA from Malegaon centre assembly constituency in Maharashtra, is heard saying that the patience of Muslim community should not be tested. We are not a helpless lot, he says in the video, adding that the Muslims kept quite because of their civility. He was could have been referring to a recent incident of shots being fired at the residence of AIMIM functionary Rizwan Khan in Malegaon city.

The video was shared by many people on Twitter, including Prachi Singh Chaturvedi who is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to media reports, although the MLA began his speech by talking about the dangers of the new citizenship law and the NPR, he went on to talk about the local issues. These comments could be seen in the context of the firing incident.

Earlier, another AIMIM leader, Waris Pathan, drew flak when a video of him allegedly saying 15 crore Muslims can dominate 100 crore surfaced. "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 AIMIM leader was heard saying in the video.

"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 was heard saying.

However, after his speech went viral, he issued an apology saying he was quoted out of context. "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 had said.