AIMIM UP Chief Stokes Row, Says Those Who Threaten Muslims 'Marry One, Keep Three Mistresses'
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh state unit chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Shaukat Ali has stoked controversy with his provocative speech made at an event in Sambhal on Saturday, October 15, where he said "those who threaten Muslims" marry one woman but keep several mistresses and produce illegitimate children with them.
He has been booked by the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly disturbing communal harmony. The video of his speech has now gone viral, drawing ire from various sections.
AIMIM UP leader, Shaukat Ali caught on tape making a hate speech while responding to Virat Hindu sabha hate mongering. @asadowaisi should sack him, the cops should book him. Zero tolerance for ALL hate speech, party/community no bar. Hate begets hate, firm hand needed ! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/yYMBdzP5H6
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) October 15, 2022
"When BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] starts losing ground, they go after Muslims...They say Muslims have more children; sometimes they said we marry twice. Yes, it's true that we marry twice but give respect to both wives, but you marry one and keep three mistresses and no one gets to know. You give respect to none of them," he can be heard saying in the video.
Apparently, the "you", he referred to in his speech, was obliquely aimed at the members of the Hindu community. However, Ali denied that he was referring to any community in particular, including the Hindu community.
"Even if we marry two women, we give equal respect to them, some people marry once but have three wives outside and hide them from society. I was only talking about such men, I didn't mention 'Hindu', my intention was not to hurt the sentiments of any community," news agency ANI quoted him saying, a day after his speech stoked controversy.
In Saturday's speech, the AIMIM leader also referred to Mughal emperor Akbar's marriage to Rajput princess Jodha Bai saying "we [Muslims] uplifted your people along with us" but now you are threatening us.
Ali also called those who threaten Muslims "worms and insects" who used to bow before Mughal emperors.
"You are threatening us? We have ruled worms and insects like you for 832 years, and you used to do 'ji huzoor' with your hands folded at the back, and now you are threatening us," he can be heard saying in the video.
"Who is more secular than us? Akbar married Jodha Bai. We are uplifting your people too along with us. But you have a problem. One sadhu [Hindu saint] says Muslims should be butchered. Why? Are we like carrots, radishes, onions?" he added. He challenged the "sadhu" that if he gets to see an angry Muslim's face alone, his bowel movements would stop.
According to ANI, Sambhal superintendent of police Chakresh Mishra said that a complaint was filed against Ali "for his alleged disrespectful, derogatory statement against Hindu Community in a viral video". He said cases were registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity), 295A (outraging religious feelings), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and further investigations were underway.
Ali's controversial comments close on the heels of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks made during his Dusshera annual speech where he had spoken of "religion-based population imbalance".
"Along with population control, population balance on a religious basis is also a matter of importance which cannot be ignored," he had said, indirectly targeting the Muslim community.
His comments were in line with the worn-out trope that RSS and its political front BJP have long advanced to hold the largest religious minority group in the country – the Muslims – responsible for population growth.
However, empirical evidence disputes both the claims of alarming population growth and the perceived differentials in Hindu-Muslim population growth.
This article went live on October sixteenth, two thousand twenty two, at thirty-five minutes past one in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
