Nadine Osman

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, Sadhvi Prachi’s anti-Muslim remark created uproar in Legislative Council with opposition National Conference and Congress demanding the Upper House condemn her.

Prachi, leader of the right-wing Hindu nationalist, had said, “It is time to make India Muslim free”.

Prachi said on June 7 she was working on getting rid of Muslims from the country. “Now that we have achieved the mission of making a Congress-free India, it is time to make India, Muslim-free. We are working on that,” she said.

As the House started its proceedings, National Conference Legislative Council Member, Dr Shehnaz Ganaie, waved newspaper copy pointing towards Prachi’s inflammatory statement.

She demanded that the House officially condemn the “anti Muslim” statement of VHP leader.

“Statements like these are creating sense of insecurity among Muslims in India. Are not we Muslims part of the country? Does it mean we don’t have to live in this country? Such communal statements must be condemned in strong words,” said Ganaie.

She was soon joined by other opposition legislators including her party colleagues Sajad Kichloo, Showkat Ganie, Qaiser Jhamsheed Lone and Congress MLCs including GN Monga who demanded that the House should take strong notice of the VHP leader’s remark and unanimously condemn her statement.

The opposition legislators created ruckus in the House, while BJP legislators accused Ganaie of trying to vitiate peace in the House.

“Don’t try to vitiate peace here,” BJP MLC Vibodh Gupta said while pointing towards opposition legislators.

In the meantime, the BJP MLC Ashok Khajuria stood up from his seat and demanded that the house should condemn the statement of Hizb Commander Burhan Wani.

“If you demand statement of Sadhvi Prachi should be condemned then Militant Burhan’s statement should be also condemned in the House,” he said while pointing toward the opposition legislators.

However, the ruckus continued for 5-7 minutes following which the Minister of Education, Naeem Akhtar, intervened to pacify the opposition legislators.

Akhtar said that whosoever has made “anti-Muslim” statement is wrong.

“Muslims are the important part of India and this country is incomplete without them,” he said.

“There is no need to divide us. There are number of problems we are facing and have to resolve,” he said.
Controversial Hindutva leader Sadhvi Prachi had in the past branded Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as a “Pakistani agent”, who should be sent to that country, after he protested against “extreme intolerance” in the country.
“Shah Rukh Khan is an agent of neighbouring country Pakistan as he reflects their (Pakistan’s) ideology. Such a man should go to Pakistan,” she said to reporters.