Shiv Sena faces flak over ‘Muslims’ rights’ remark, complaint filed with minorities panel

Mumbai: A day after Shiv Sena MP and editor of party mouthpiece Saamna, Sanjay Raut, stirred controversy for his remarks that voting rights of Muslims should be revoked as the community has often been used to play vote bank politics, the party is now facing flak from various political parties on Monday.Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain slammed Shiv Sena and said that the Constitution of India has given everyone the right to vote.

The BJP believes in ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’. No one can deprive anyone from casting votes. The Muslims in India consider the country their motherland,” he said.

Condemning the statement, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav told ANI, “It is a habitual thing for Shiv Sena to do. They always make communal statements.”

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also said that what Shiv Sena is demanding is against the Constitution.

“Fortunately, it is not possible to do things that Shiv Sena is suggesting,” he was quoted by ANI.

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar accused the Shiv Sena of trying to divide the nation.

“India has second largest population of Muslims in the world and in couple of decades we will have highest number of Muslims in the world. We should be proud of it. Shiv Sena is trying to divide the nation, they want to break it into pieces,” Aiyar said.

The NCP had also condemned Shiv Sena yesterday with spokesperson Nawab Malik alleging that the Shiv Sena wants to end democracy and bring in the rule of German dictator Adolf Hitler.

“To snatch away the right of voting from the Muslims is a threat to the democracy. If voting rights of the special sections are snatched away, it only indicates that they want to end the democracy and bring in the Hitler rule and the people will not accept it,” he told the media.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, has justified his party`s stand and claimed that the condition of the community would never improve as long as the vote bank politics continues in India.

“If Muslims are only being used this way to play politics, then they can never develop. Muslims will have no future till they are used to play vote bank politics and thus Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. What he said is right,” an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece `Saamana` said on Sunday.

A complaint was on Sunday filed with the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) against Shiv Sena MP and editor of party mouthpiece Saamna, Sanjay Raut, for his remarks that voting rights of Muslims should be revoked as the community has often been used to play vote bank politics.