New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in a sharply worded speech on Monday during the Lok Sabha discussion said that the Indian Constitution grants every citizen complete religious and intellectual freedom and that linking patriotism to any religion or symbol goes against constitutional principles. He stressed that no citizen can be compelled to respect any deity and that no one should be asked for “loyalty certificates”. Owaisi was speaking during a discussion held to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram.
He said forcing anyone to recite Vande Mataram is unconstitutional and cannot be treated as a measure of patriotism. “Vande Mataram is not the benchmark of nationalism. Our love for the country is unwavering; being Muslim does not come in the way of loving our nation. We love our country and always will,” he said.
Turning Vande Mataram into a test of loyalty, he argued, would mean abandoning the ideals of Gandhi, Ambedkar, Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose and embracing the ideology of Godse and Hindu nationalism. India, he said, is like a garden of many flowers, and if the gardener wishes for only one flower to bloom, “this garden will turn into a desert and that gardener will become a ‘jallad’ (executioner).”
Owaisi said ‘tawheed’ — belief in the oneness of Allah — is central to Islam, and Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees Muslims the freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. Surrendering this freedom, he warned, would be dangerous.
He argued that true patriotism demands ending oppression, poverty, exploitation and unemployment and fostering peace and harmony. “If you describe India as a goddess, you are turning nationalism and patriotism into religion. Saying one must recite Vande Mataram to live in India is against the Constitution and Supreme Court rulings,” he said.
He said the Constitution begins with the words “We the people of India”, not “Bharat Mata”. The Preamble speaks of freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. “If that is so, how can any citizen be forced to worship or bow before any specific god or deity?” he asked.