New Delhi, February 7: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vinay Katiyar on Wednesday stirred a controversy by saying that Muslims must leave India and they should either settle in Pakistan or Bangladesh. The remarks came after AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi demanded the Modi government to bring out a law that would make calling Indian Muslim “Pakistani” a punishable offence.
“Musalman iss desh mein rehna hi nahi chahye, unhone jansankhya ke aadhaar par desh ka batwara kardia toh iss desh mein rehne ki kya avashyakta thi? Unko alag bhu-bhaag de dia gaya, Bangladesh ya Pakistan jaayen yahan kya kaam hai unka? (Muslims should not stay in India. The country was divided on the basis of their population, so what is the need for them to stay in this nation? They have been given a different county — they should either go to Bangladesh or Pakistan)” Katiyar said.
When asked about Owaisi’s demand to punish people who an Indian Muslim ‘Pakistani’, Katiyar said those who hoist Pakistani flag should be also be prosecuted. “There also should be a law that punishes those who do not respect Vande Matram, those who insult the national flag. Those who hoist the Pakistani flag… they should be punished,” Katiyar said.
While participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address, Owaisi had on Tuesday, February 6, said that the law should make the offence punishable by three years of imprisonment. “Bring a law that if any Muslim is called Pakistani, the person will face a three-year jail term,” Owaisi said.
Owaisi, however, added that the Narendra Modi government would not bring such a bill in Parliament.