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Now, Rajbhar's remark on Jinnah sparks row
SBSP leader’s remark comes days after Akhilesh Yadav’s comment on Pakistan founder; BJP condemns Om Prakash Rajbhar’s statement
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Wednesday said there would have been no Partition of the country had Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made India’s first prime minister, adding to the row on a remark on Pakistan’s founder by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav earlier, and drawing a sharp reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Om Prakash Rajbhar, who was interacting with the media in Varanasi, recently announced an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Akhilesh Yadav had also praised Jinnah and said that he played a role in the freedom struggle along with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The BJP had reacted strongly to Akhilesh’s remark as well.
Om Prakash Rajbhar further said, “Think why Atalji and Advaniji also praised Jinnah’s thoughts. That is why I think that if Jinnah had been made the first Prime Minister of the country, then there would have been no Partition of the country.”
Reacting to Om Prakash Rajbhar’s remark on Jinnah, UP cabinet minister and BJP leader Anil Rajbhar alleged that the SBSP chief made the statement at the instance of the Samajwadi Party.
Talking to the media at the circuit house in Varanasi, the minister said that the statement on Jinnah is an example of the narrow mentality of the SP and the SBSP.
“These are the people who eat in this country, but sing the praises of another country. This statement has been (made) only in the greed of votes. This is an attempt to create unrest in the state by them,” he said.
He accused the SP of doing the politics of appeasement. Anil Rajbhar said that in order to win the election, the SP and SBSP hurt people’s sentiments about great leaders and the people will give a befitting reply in the coming elections.
Any amount of condemnation is less for the statement on Jinnah, he said.
One who cannot respect great men can neither do good to the country nor understand the pain of the poor, deprived and common man, the minister said. UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh said as the Uttar Pradesh assembly election was approaching, there was a competition among the opposition leaders to praise Jinnah.
He said Samajwadi Party leaders were not desisting from insulting countless freedom fighters by constantly comparing Jinnah with Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. Singh said that such comparison was also an insult to people, including backward classes across the country, who consider Sardar Patel as their ideal and draw inspiration from him.
The backward classes of the state were eager to teach the Samajwadi Party a lesson, the UP BJP chief said.
Singh said that the leaders of opposition parties have become victims of mental bankruptcy due to the politics of appeasement.
These leaders of the SP and SBSP have forgotten that first Jinnah formed a party on the basis of religion and eventually got the country divided, Singh said.
He said that Akhilesh and his leaders may not have realised the pain of Partition but the countrymen have not forgotten that yet.
In view of the assembly elections, some are conspiring to spoil the social harmony in the state but people of the state along with the Bharatiya Janata Party will not allow any such mischief to succeed, he said.
On October 31, Akhilesh Yadav, while addressing a public meeting in Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, had said that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Muhammad Ali Jinnah had played a role in India’s freedom struggle. The remark saw BJP leaders, including chief minister Yogi Adityanath, targeting Akhilesh Yadav and seeking an apology from
“Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped (India) get freedom and never backed away from any struggle,” Akhilesh Yadav had said.
UP minister Anand Swaroop Shukla on November 6 had said to reporters in Ballia: “SP chief Akhilesh Yadav making a statement on Muhammad Ali Jinnah is not a common incident. Akhilesh Yadav has been the chief minister of UP while Jinnah is responsible for the partition of the country.”
Shukla also said the SP chief should clarify as to under what pressure he is glorifying Jinnah.
“I want Akhilesh Yadav to himself come forward, and get his narco test done,” Shukla said, adding that Jinnah is such a villain who no Indian would like to see or listen to.
He further said that those heaping praises on Jinnah should go to Pakistan.
The Samajwadi Party had demanded the sacking of Shukla for making controversial remarks against Akhilesh Yadav.
