New Delhi, March 31: BJP National Spokesperson, Shahnawaz Hussain, on Monday slammed the call to wear black armbands while offering Eid-ul-Fitr Namaz, stating that politics and religion should not be mixed.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had urged Muslims to wear black armbands as a mark of protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill during their prayers. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and several Opposition leaders supported the “silent protest.”
Reacting to this, Hussain said that Eid should remain a day of worship and joy, free from political statements. “I also offered prayers in front of the Parliament Mosque, and I did not see anyone wearing a black armband there. Eid prayers come after 30 days of fasting, and it is a day of joy,” he told IANS.
He emphasised that prayers are an act of devotion, while wearing a black armband is a political statement. “The prayers were conducted peacefully across the country. People are celebrating Eid with joy. On this day, everyone should embrace one another, as Eid is a day of love. Everyone should live together with affection and unity. I extend my heartfelt Eid greetings to the entire nation,” he added.
The former Union Minister also responded to former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s criticism of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In an opinion article published in a leading daily, Sonia Gandhi accused the Centre of imposing the NEP without proper consultation and prioritising political motives over educational welfare.
She said there are ‘3Cs’ that haunt Indian education today — centralisation, commercialisation and communalisation. Sonia Gandhi has said the government was coercing the state governments to implement the PM-SHRI scheme of model schools by withholding the grants due to them under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan as leverage.
Defending the policy, Hussain said, “The country’s education policy is excellent, but Sonia Gandhi objects to it. She prefers an education policy that provokes people. It is unfortunate that she is questioning India’s education policy.”
IANS