Mumbai/ New Delhi: Shiv Sena on Sunday courted controversy by demanding scrapping of voting rights of Muslims, saying the community has often been used for vote bank politics, evoking sharp reactions from several political parties which accused it of trying to inflame passions and divide people.
An editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ also likened the All India Majlis-e-Ittihadul-Muslimeen (MIM) and Owaisi brothers to “poisonous snakes” who spew venom to “exploit” the minority community.
“Vote bank politics is being played in the name of fighting against the injustice meted out to Muslims. Their educational and health status is being used politically. This politics was once played by the Congress and now every other person calls himself secular.
“If Muslims are only being used this way to play politics, then they can never develop. Muslims will have no future till they are used to play vote bank politics and thus Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. What he said is right,” the editorial said.
Strongly condemning the remarks, Congress said they are aimed at dividing society and inflaming passions and are unacceptable. Those behind them have no place in a culture like ours.
It also said such controversial statements continue to be made despite repeated assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament.
The Samajwadi Party castigated the remarks, saying it was aimed at creating enmity between various communities and demanded that the government initiate legal action against them. (PTI)
