Hamid Ansari says India just as responsible for Partition as Pakistan, claims 'it was easier to blame Muslims'

Former vice president Hamid Ansari, speaking at the launch of Saeed Naqvi’s new book Being the Other - The Muslim in India, said that India was just as responsible as Pakistan for Partition. [caption id=“attachment_5457691” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of former vice-president Hamid Ansari. PTI[/caption] As per a report from Times Now, Ansari said: “We are not ready to accept that we were equal culprits in the deed.” “On 11 August, 1947, four days before independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel made a statement where he said: ‘We took these extreme steps after great deliberation. In spite of my previous strong opposition to Partition, I agreed to it because I was convinced that to keep India united, it must be divided.’” He alleged that when politics changed, someone had to be made responsible for Partition, and it was easier to blame Muslims. “Everyone agreed that Muslims should be held responsible,’ he said. Ansari served as vice president of India from 2007 to 2017. He has also served as an Indian ambassador and is ex-chairman of the Rajya Sabha.