Opinion
Recently, while taking oath as Member of Parliament, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi sparked off a controversy by shouting ‘Jai Palestine’. Immediately, following this, a BJP MP hit back saying, “Jai Hindu Rashtra”.
Since then, there has been a demand by some BJP MPs to disqualify Asaduddin as he had pledged his allegiance to another nation ‘Palestine’.
Technically, this is not correct. But Owaisi himself has expressed no remorse and has asked his critics to read about what Mahatma Gandhi said about Palestine.
Prima facie, Asaduddin might not be punished in any way but there is little doubt that his sloganeering was just a cheap publicity stunt to draw attention to himself more than the cause of ‘Palestine’.
Israel and Palestine are at war and with tempers running high, the Indian government has its hands full in trying to strike a diplomatic balance between the two nations.
Owaisi is at liberty to express his views regarding Palestine in his individual capacity, but using the podium of Parliament for his posturing can create a huge external affairs’ headache for the Indian government.
Of course, he will personally benefit from it as it makes him look a Pan-Indian Muslim leader, which he is clearly not.
But foreign Muslim nations will sit up and take notice of him.
Taking a cue from him, what if some politician from Punjab or Tamil Nadu shouts ‘jai Khalistan’ or ‘jai Dravidistan’, tomorrow? There is a time and place for everything!
In resorting to such antics, Owaisi has proved that he is just another demagogue..
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