Ghulam Nabi Azad says ‘everyone was born a Hindu in India’, Mehbooba Mufti reacts
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad has sparked a controversy by saying that a majority of Indian Muslims have converted from Hinduism, reported news agency PTI.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was addressing a gathering in Doda district where he was making an observation about the historical context of religions in India.
“Some BJP leader said some (Muslims) have come from outside and some have not. Nobody has come from outside or inside. Islam came to existence just 1,500 years ago. Hindu religion is very old. Around 10-20 of them (Muslims) must have come from outside, some were there in the Mughal army,” Azad said.
“All other Muslims converted from Hinduism in India. An example of this can be found in Kashmir. Who were the Muslims in Kashmir 600 years ago? All were Kashmiri Pandits. They converted to Islam. All are born into this religion,” he added.
Naming different communities, Azad said all of them have made India their home. “It is our home, we haven’t come from outside. We were born on this soil and will perish in it,” he emphasised.
Azad said that when Hindus die, they are cremated. “They are burnt in different places. Their ashes are placed in the river which mixes the water, and we drink that water,” he said.
“Similarly Muslims’ flesh and bones become a part of the nation’s soil. They, too, become a part of this land. Their flesh become a part of Bharat Mata’s soil. Hindus and Muslims both merge into this land. What difference is there between them?” he said.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta agreed with Azad’s views and said the people used to practise Hinduism before “invaders” brought in other religions. “The timeline given by Azad about the inception of Islam in India is true,” he said.
Gupta further said that unveiling the history of Kashmir would also reveal that around 600 years ago, there was no Muslim in Kashmir and everyone there was a Hindu.
However, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti took a dig at Azad and said, “I don’t know how far back he went (in time) and what knowledge he has about his ancestors. I would advise him to go way back and maybe he will find some apes there in the ancestors.”
Further, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha opined, “Humanity should take precedence over all other considerations – whether it be religion, borders, nationality, or civilization.”
On September 26, 2022, Azad launched his own political wing, the ‘Democratic Progressive Azad Party,’ following his departure from the Congress party after serving almost five decades. The former Congress leader has been criticising the grand old party ever since his resignation.