Asaduddin Owaisi demands Mahesh Sharma's dismissal for remark on A P J Abdul Kalam

NEW DELHI: Flaying Union minister Mahesh Sharma for his comments that A P J Abdul Kalam was a great nationalist despite being a Muslim, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today demanded his dismissal for "suspecting" the nationalism of 17 crore Indian Muslims.

Owaisi said it was a travesty that even after 69 years of independence, the nationalism of Muslims was being suspected by a minister and wondered if Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his opinion.

"He (Sharma) clearly says that the late (President) Kalam despite being a Muslim was a nationalist and humanist. What does that convey? In plain and simple language, it clearly says that Muslims cannot be trusted.

"It is a travesty that even after 69 years of independence of this great nation, we have a minister in the Modi cabinet who is suspecting my nationalism," he said.

He called Sharma, the culture minister, an "uncultured" man who must be "kicked out" from the government.

Owaisi demanded that the Prime Minister clarify whether his government viewed the 17-crore Muslims of the country as "not nationalists".

"Is this the opinion of the Prime Minister that this government views 17-crore proud Muslims in India as not being nationalist... I would like to know from Modi who has said that he wanted Muslims to have Quran in one hand and computer in the other hand," he asked.

"We have renamed Aurangzeb Road after a person, who despite being a Muslim, is a great nationalist...," Sharma told a news channel.