Azam Khan hits out at Shia Waqf Board chief, says 'send Muslims to Europe, America not Pakistan'

Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan on Saturday attacked UP Shia Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi for suggesting that Muslims who are opposing the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya “must go to Pakistan and Bangladesh”. 

Speaking to media, Azam Khan said, ''Why do they want to send Muslims to countries that don’t even have bread.''

The firebrand Samajwadi Party added that if they want to send Muslims out of India, they should send them to a 'wealthier' Europe or the US.

Azam Khan, however, called for a total migration in that case.

“Bhejna hai to un deshon mein kyo bhejte ho jahan roti nahi hai. Desh ke badshah aisa chahte hain to Europe bheje, America ke tanashah se bhi achi dosti hai unki. Par total migration hona chahiye,” he said. 

Bhejna hai to un deshon mein kyo bhejte ho jahan roti nahi hai. Desh ke badshah aisa chahte hain to Europe bheje, America ke tanashah se bhi achi dosti hai unki. Par total migration hona chahiye: A.Khan on Wasim Rizvi stmt 'Muslims protesting Ram Mandir must go to Pak/Bangladesh' pic.twitter.com/BLJeHxVMFw — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 3, 2018

Reactions from Azam Khan came after Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi suggested that Muslims who are against building Ram temple in Ayodhya "must go to Pakistan and Bangladesh".

Rizvi offered Friday prayers at the disputed site in Ayodhya and also met the chief priest of the Ram Janambhoomi, Acharya Satyendra Das.

On the occasion, he said, "Those who are opposing the Ram temple in Ayodhya and want to build the Babri Mosque there... People having such fundamentalist mentality should go to Pakistan and Bangladesh. Such Muslims do not have any place in India."

"Those who want to spread Jihad in the name of the mosque must go and join the forces of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIS chief," Rizvi said.

Rizvi had alleged that fundamentalist Muslim clerics are trying to destroy the country and they must migrate to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Rizvi's remarks evoked a sharp response from the Shia clerics who demanded his arrest for trying to communalise the atmosphere.

President of Shia Ulema Council Maulana Iftekhar Hussain Inquilabi alleged, "Rizvi is a criminal involved in grabbing and illegal selling of Waqf properties."

"He has been chargesheeted by the CB-CID and to save himself from the law he is enacting a big drama," he said.

"During the rule of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, he was patronised by Mulayam Singh Yadav and then minister Azam Khan. Now, during the BJP government, he wants to be spared," Inquilabi claimed. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute from February 8.

(With PTI inputs)