Muslim soldiers and Kargil: EC seeks details of Azam Khan speech

The Election Commission Wednesday sought details of Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohd Azam Khan’s speech in which he said the Kargil war was won solely because of Muslim soldiers. The minister Tuesday had allegedly said the Kargil peaks were not conquered by Hindu soldiers, but by Muslim soldiers, while addressing an election rally in Ghaziabad where he was campaigning for Samajwadi party candidate Nahid Hasan. [caption id=“attachment_1472083” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Khan said it was Muslim soldiers who captured Kargil: IBNlive[/caption] Senior officials told IANS that the commission has sought details from the district administration. Khan also went on to say that no one can guard the country’s borders better than those from the Muslim community. “Recruit us in the Indian Army. No one can guard the borders of our nation better than us,” he said. Former Army Chief Gen VK Singh, who is the BJP candidate from Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency, condemned Khan’s remarks, saying the Kargil war was “won by Indians”. “Anybody who talks of caste, creed and religion in the army needs to be condemned. He may be anybody. The war was won by Indians and not by any caste, creed, society, religion,” he said. Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said action should be taken against Khan for “intemperate” remarks that could lead to division of communities based on religion or caste. Agencies