Some Muslims say nothing wrong in 'Bharat mata ki jai'

MUMBAI: A section in the Muslim community have said there is nothing wrong in saying 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' as it is a slogan hailing the nation and Islam doesn't prohibit its followers to express love for the motherland.

The community leaders also alleged that there was perhaps a tacit understanding between the BJP and MIM leaders to keep raising rhetorical issues.

"There was no reason for Asaduddin Owaisi to respond to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments on 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. Again, MIM MLA Waris Pathan should not have said he would not utter the slogan, which, in other words, means salutation to the country, something Islam sanctions," said community official Ghulam Peshimam. Many said both the BJP and MIM are feeding off each other. Indian Union Muslim League Mumbai chief Parvez Lakdawala said, "The BJP needs a Muslim party like MIM to polarise votes in the states which will soon go to polls. India is our motherland and there is nothing wrong in praising the motherland or saluting it even if our Constitution doesn't make it binding on the citizens." All India Milli Council (Maharashtra) general secretary M A Khalid said he would like to remind those who doubt Muslims' patriotism, and even those Muslims who are reluctant to say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', of the Urdu poet Allama Iqbal's couplet in the poem 'Naya Shivala (New Temple)' .

Addressing the Hindus, Iqbal had said, "Pathar ki mooraton mein samjha hai tu khuda hai/ khaake watan ka mujhko har zarra devata hai (for you, an idol of stone is a god/every particle of the country's sand is a deity to me.)"

Khalid said, "Can Owaisi and Pathan call Iqbal a kafir for penning such a patriotic line? Love to madre watan or motherland is a popular expression and Muslims' patriotism cannot be doubted."