Removed from post, SP woman leader calls party ‘anti-Hindu, ‘anti-women’

Former Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Aligarh Mahila Sabha president Rubina Khanum called the Akhilesh Yadav-led party “anti-Hindu, anti-women and a party that indulged in appeasement politics”, on her removal from the post. She said that though the party cited “indiscipline” as the reason behind her removal from the presidentship of Mahila Sabha, Aligarh, the real reason was her recent comment on the Gyanvapi mosque. Rubina Khanum, of late, had been hogging headlines over her controversial statements on the Hijab and loudspeaker rows in quick succession.

Samajwadi Party state president Naresh Uttam Patel removed her from the post.

Rubina Khanum, in a video statement two days back, said: “I understand that the Hindu side is claiming that the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi was a temple in ancient times and some ruler forcibly demolished the temple and built the mosque. If the claim is proven right, then our Muslim community, religious leaders, Ulemas should hand over the land to the Hindu claimants”.

Citing her removal from the post following the Gyanvapi statement, Rubina told newspersons that when she made statements related to the Muslim community, the party did not find indiscipline in it but when she made the Gyanvapi statement, the party thought that it was “indiscipline”. She threatened to quit the party, calling it “anti-Hindu and anti-women and a party that indulged in appeasement politics”.

In mid-April, Rubina Khanum had created a controversy through her statement on loudspeaker in response to which the Aligarh police had filed an FIR at the Civil Lines police station.

Rubina Khanum had said, “Do not disturb Muslims. Do not interfere in our religion or else we (Muslim women) are not sitting wearing bangles. We in thousands will sit outside your temples and recite Quran on loudspeakers”. Her statement was allegedly in response to an announcement by some Hindu outfits that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques. During the peak of the Hijab row in February, Rubina had said: “Will chop off the arms of those who put hands on Hijab”.