Owaisi says he agrees with SC observations on patriotism

MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today said he agreed with the Supreme Court's observations that people "cannot be forced to carry patriotism on their sleeves".
The Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad said a cinema hall is not a place to display patriotism.
"If the Supreme Court has said what you are saying, then I feel that there is merit in it. Because, why should one show patriotism in a cinema hall?" he told reporters here.
"Usually, when people go to a cinema hall, they are going there for a very different purpose... I don't think you need to show your patriotism in a cinema hall," he said.

He was replying to a query on the Supreme Court's observation yesterday that people need not stand up in movie halls to prove patriotism.
The apex court has asked the Centre to consider amending the rules to regulate the playing of the national anthem before a film.

Owaisi said standing up in cinema halls when national anthem is played is not going to inculcate patriotism.
He, however, said one has to stand up when the national anthem is played on occasions like August 15.
"If the national anthem is being played on 15 of August or 26th of January or any official function, then of course, one has to stand up," he said.

Owaisi criticised the NDA government for allegedly not having a consistent policy on the Kashmir issue.
"We do not know whether the government will allow him (Centre's interlocutor on Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma) to speak to all stakeholders... We do not know what the government wants. Because, they do not have a consistent policy as far as Kashmir is concerned," he said.
Replying to a query, Owaisi took exception to the criticism over the announcements made by the Telangana government for the welfare of minorities.
The state government yesterday decided to provide financial assistance of up to Rs 2.5 lakh for the self- employment of youth from minority communities on a full subsidy basis without any bank linkage.

Among other decisions, the TRS government also decided to "develop an exclusive industrial estate and IT corridor for Muslims".