Assam Governor P B Acharya did not make religious comment: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today sought to defend Assam Governor P B Acharya over his controversial remarks that "Hindustan is for Hindus" and Indian Muslims are "free to go Pakistan", saying he did not make any religious comment.

"The Governor did not make a religious comment. But it was for all religions not any particular one. But I have not heard the other comment (about Muslims in India being free to go to Pakistan and Bangladesh)," he told reporters here.

Rijiju, Minister of State for Home, was responding to a question on the Assam Governor's controversial comments in Guwahati in the last two days.

The Assam Governor has stoked a controversy after he reportedly said on Saturday that "Hindustan is for Hindus", drawing sharp criticism from Congress which alleged that it was reflective of the divisive ideology of RSS and BJP which has led to incidents like Dadri lynching.

Acharya's attempt yesterday to clarify the alleged remarks he made on Saturday at a book launch function further stirred the row after he said that "Muslims in India are free to go anywhere....If they want to go to Pakistan, Bangladesh, they are free to go".