Jammu: Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Congress leader who floated DPAP, urged political parties to refrain from using religion for votes.
DPAP chairman further said a majority of Indian Muslims have converted from Hinduism, adding that an example of this can be found in the Kashmir Valley where a majority of Kashmiri Pandits converted to Islam.
Asserting that religion should not be used to get political mileage, Ghulam Nabi Azad said whoever takes refuge in religion in politics is weak.
"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," the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief told a gathering in Doda district.
"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," the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said.
Ghulam Nabi 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.
"Later, who sees that the water contains their burnt ashes? People drink that water," the DPAP leader said.
Similarly Muslims' flesh and bones become a part of the nation's soil, Ghulam Nabi Azad said. "They, too, become a part of this land. Their flesh and their bones become a part of Bharat Mata's soil. Hindus and Muslims both merge into this land. What difference is there between them?" he added.
Taking a dig on the use of religion for votes, Gulam Nabi Azad said, "Whoever takes refuge in religion in politics is weak. Religion should not be used as a vote bank in politics. Voting should not be based on Hindu and Muslim names."
PTI with superficial edits