'Bharat Mata ki Jai' row: MP Assembly passes censure motion against Owaisi

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a censure motion against AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi for his recent remarks that he won’t chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Congress member Jitu Patwari brought the censure motion slamming Owaisi during the Zero Hour of the budget session of the MP Assembly underway here. [caption id=“attachment_2683580” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Asaduddin Owaisi. IBNLive[/caption] Even as he condemned the AIMIM leader for his comments, Patwari recalled that the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharalal Nehru had immense respect for the country. He said that Nehru in his book ‘Discovery of India’ mentions his love for the country and touched upon the rich and diversified cultures describing it as ‘Mother India.’ He said that his party is against all sort of fundamental mentalities - be it of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and any other religion. MP Legislative Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra seconded Patwari’s censure motion and condemned Owaisi saying that such type of anti-national mentality is being noticed since last one and an half year. He said that India has loved and respected both “Ram and Rahim” equally, and blasted people sympathising with divisive forces. Mishra also hit out at people behind the sloganeering of “Pakistan Zindabad” and supporting Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He said that even the anti-national acts at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus too should be condemned along with Owaisi. MP Panchayat Minister Gopal Bhargava rose to join in condemning Owaisi and tried to take a dig at the Congress. But Speaker Sitasaran Sharma, sensing a tussle between the treasury and opposition Congress, got up and announced the passing of censure motion unanimously against AIMIM leader amid chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai" by members including Congress’ Patwari and Hardeep Singh Dang. On 13 March, Owaisi had said he will not chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai,’ comments that came against the backdrop of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion that the new generation needs to be taught to chant slogans hailing mother India. “I don’t chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab,” Owaisi had said, at a public rally in Udgir tehsil of Latur district of Maharashtra. “I won’t utter that (slogan) even if you put a knife to my throat,” Owaisi said, amid loud applause by the crowd. “Nowhere in the Constitution it says that one should say: Bharat Mata ki Jai,” he had said. Bhagwat, on 3 March had said, “Now the time has come when we have to tell the new generation to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ (hail mother India).” “It should be real, spontaneous and part of all-round development of the youth,” the RSS chief had said. PTI