Linking patriotism to religion is anti-constitutional: Owaisi in LS

New Delhi: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that linking patriotism to any single religion or identity is against constitutional principles and will increase social division.

Participating in a discussion on the ‘150 years of national song Vande Mataram’ in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi said that the Constitution grants equal rights to all citizens and this right cannot be associated with any religious identity or symbol.

He said the Constitution begins with “We the People”, and not with the name of any god or goddess.

Linking patriotism to any single religion or identity is against constitutional principles and will increase social division, Owaisi said.

He described the liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship written in the Preamble as the foundation of democracy, and said the State cannot be the property of any one religion.

Referring to the debates in the Constituent Assembly, he said the amendments regarding Vande Mataram were considered, but the proposal to begin the Preamble with the name of a goddess was never accepted.

The Hyderabad MP said the Indian Muslims are staunch opponents of Jinnah, ”that is precisely why they decided to stay in India.

But, he said, in 1942, the political ancestors of some of those who admire so much formed coalition governments with Jinnah’s Muslim League in the North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, and Bengal.

Owaisi said those very governments “recruited 1.5 lakh Muslims and Hindus into the British Indian Army so that they could fight for the British during World War II effort”.

Citing legal precedents, he said Vande Mataram should not be forcibly made a benchmark of anyone’s loyalty.

Owaisi said loving one’s country is one thing, but tying patriotism to a religious ritual or text is against the Constitution.