Muslim party: Know how Rahul Gandhi stepped on a political landmine

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has landed in a big controversy over his alleged remark that the Congress is a Muslim party. Several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have amplified the issue by criticising Gandhi for his remarks. What did Gandhi actually say?

Meeting with Muslim intellectuals
On July 11, Rahul held a meeting with several Muslim intellectuals. That's where he is said to have made that remark. The remark came to light when the next day Urdu newspaper Inquilab carried a story headlined 'Congress is a Muslim party'. But the party immediately refuted the story. The same day, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted: "This is absolute lies & shameful spin by the newspaper. The BJP using it to further its own agenda, yet again, exposes their desperate tactics to mislead the nation. However, this will not deter us to fight for India's founding principles & its democratic values."

What did the Urdu daily report?

According to AltNews, Urdu daily Inquilab reported Rahul as saying, “If BJP says that Congress is a party of Muslims, it is fine. Congress is a party of Muslims, because Muslims are weak and Congress always stands with the weak."

A Muslim intellectual refutes
Historian S. Irfan Habib, a participant in the July 11 meeting, denied that Rahul made any such remark."He didn't say that at all. I didn't hear it. Nobody will say that. BJP, a majoritarian party, will never say that. No party would ever say that," Habib told IANS. "He spoke about the poor sections of society, which have been the strength of the Congress all these years."

Editor stands by his story
However, Mumtaz Alam Rizvi, the editor of Inquilab, stood by his story which claimed Gandhi had made the remark during his meeting with Muslim intellectuals. "Why is Congress being defensive and saying that Rahul Gandhi didn't say it [Congress is a Muslim party]. He proudly said it," said Rizvi, according to an ANI report. Rizvi also claimed that even president of Congress's minority cell Nadim Javed had vouched for the story. "Javed was present in the meeting. He has already clarified on record that there was nothing wrong in our story," Rizvi claimed. However, according to IANS, Javed later told a news channel, "To say that Congress is only the party of Muslims is a very stupid thing to say. The Congress president can't say this. No mature politician would say this. Probably, the editor failed to understand what I said."

Rahul clarifies
After PM Modi and several BJP leaders including defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised Rahul, he came out with a clarification. In a tweet on Tuesday, the Congress chief said,"I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me. I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress."