General Rawat's statement on anti-CAA protests undermines Modi govt: Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday reacted to outgoing Army chief Bipin Rawat's condemnation of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests by saying that the latter's statement undermines the Modi government.

"His statement undermines the Modi government. Our Prime Minister writes on his website that as a student he participated in the protests during emergency. Then, according to Army Chief's statement that was also wrong," Owaisi told reporters here.

"Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had removed Admiral Vishnu Bhagat. For what reason was he removed, the government should take note of that. Jayaprakash Narayan had made the call to all the students to protest against the emergency promulgated by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Such statements in a democracy are an insult to the government," he added.

Earlier in the day, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, referring to anti-CAA protests, said that leaders are not those who spearhead people in "inappropriate directions" and stressed that leading masses and crowds to carry out arson and violence in cities and towns is not leadership.

Owaisi further said that there is nothing wrong about protesting against the government. People who are silent on the issues affecting the country today will regret that they did not say anything when the country was facing problems, he added.

Speaking on Mohan Bhagwat's statement of considering the entire population of the country as a "Hindu society", Owaisi said: "Maybe Mohan Bhagwat has not read that the Indian Constitution grants right to equality and right to life to the citizens. This signifies the diversity and pluralism of the nation. Why are Articles 26, 29 and 30 there in the Constitution? This is because India is a secular country. RSS wants that the entire country should have one religion. This will never happen as the constitution that Ambedkar has made grants equality to all religions in the country."

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said that India has traditionally been "Hindutvawadi" and that the Sangh regards the 130 crore population of the country as "Hindu society" irrespective of the diversity of religion and culture here.