Police register case against Owaisi for refusing to say 'Bharat Mata ki jai'

The complainant alleged that Owaisi's speech would "promote enmity between different groups"

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A case was registered on Friday against AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi over his speech wherein he had said he would not chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' even if a "knife is put to my throat".



The case was registered by Karimnagar Three Town police in Telangana, based on a complaint lodged by one Bethi Mahender Reddy.



In the complaint, Reddy alleged that Owaisi's "defamatory" speech would "promote enmity between different groups".



Three Town Circle Inspector P Sadanandam said, "Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Owaisi under IPC section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc)".



Owaisi, while addressing a public rally in Udgir tehsil of Latur district in Maharashtra on March 13, had said he would not chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.



"I don't chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab," the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad had said, referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark that the new generation needed to be taught to hail "Mother India".

alleged that the RSS raised the issue of "Bharat Mata ki jai" in a bid to promote "ghar wapsi" (re-conversion) even as he clarified that he is not against "Hinduism" but "Hindutva".



He also attacked the Congress for backing suspension of his party MLA in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and adoption of the censure motion in Madhya Pradesh House today against his refusal to chant the slogan.



"RSS' gameplan is nothing but to try to implement what (Hindutva ideologue) Savarkar said in his book on Hindutva.



When I made that statement (refusal to chant the slogan), I knew this is what RSS wants to do," the Hyderabad MP told PTI.



Owaisi said he had always been against Hindutva and not against Hinduism.



"Even Savarkar says in his same Hindutva book that Hindutva is different and Hinduism is different. Basically, this (raising the slogan issue) is nothing but RSS, by insisting on saying this slogan, this (the issue) is being used and abused for ghar wapsi," he alleged.

He said Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression, freedom of religion and protection of cultural rights of minorities.



"I also accept that it was also part of popular slogans during freedom struggle. But why do you keep on insisting me. BJP and Sangh Parivar...they have different understanding when they talk about that slogan. That is you have to pray to the country...You have to pray to the deity. No one can put this question to me. I don't pray to the country but I am a loyal citizen and fundamental rights in the Constitution guarantees me," Owaisi said.



He also lashed out at the Congress for backing suspension of his party MLA Waris Pathan in the Maharashtra Assembly as the resolution to this effect was adopted unanimously by all parties including the Congress and NCP, besides BJP and Shiv Sena.