MH-CHAVAN VIDEO

Cong joined govt as Muslims insisted on keeping BJP out:Chavan
    Aurangabad, Jan 21 (PTI) A video of Maharashtra
minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan purportedly
saying that his party joined the Shiv Sena-led government on
"insistence" of the "Muslim community" to stop the BJP from
returning to power has gone viral on social media.
    The remarks were purportedly made by the PWD Minister
while addressing an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally
in Nanded in Marathwada region of the state recently.
    Chavn told PTI on Tuesday that he didn't specifically
mention Muslims in his speech.
    "We have a (coalition) government in place in the
state. The Congress decided to join the government to avoid
the (repeat of) losses the state had suffered in the last five
years (when the BJP was in power). Our Muslim brothers also
insisted that we join the government to keep the biggest
enemy, the BJP, away from power," Chavan said in Hindi.
    The senior Congress leader, who had served as a chief
minister of Maharashtra during December 2008 to November 2010,
also said the new citizenship law will not be implemented in
the state as long as the present dispensation in at the helm.
    The Congress is a part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi
(MVA) government comprising the Shiv Sena and the NCP.
    Calling for extensive debate on the CAA, Chavan said
nobody's Constitutional rights should be allowed to be
violated.
    "Secularism is our foundation. The law (CAA) should be
based on the Constitution," he said.
    When contacted, Chavan said, "I didn't speak about
Muslims specifically. I had only said that all communities had
told our party to join the government". PTI AW NSK
NSK NSK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)