"Comments to divert people": Congress MP Tariq Anwar slams Nitesh Rane
New Delhi: Congress MP Tariq Anwar responded strongly to Nitesh Rane's recent comments regarding Kerala and Rahul Gandhi.
In a sharp retort, Anwar questioned, "Rahul Gandhi won from Rae Bareli, is 'Pakistan' being created there too? His statement aimed at defending Kerala and countering the divisive narrative pushed by the BJP."
Anwar emphasized the unity of Kerala, saying, "All the people living in Kerala, whatever religion they belong to - all are our brothers." He condemned the BJP for using inflammatory language, stating that such remarks were part of an attempt to divert public attention from more pressing issues.
"BJP always makes such comments to divert people from the real issues," Anwar added.
Meanwhile as the Mini-Pakistan remark sparked a row, Maharashtra Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane on Monday clarified that Kerala was very much part of India, saying he was merely comparing the situation in Kerala and Pakistan. He said that if the treatment meted out to "Hindus" in Pakistan is similar to happenings in India, there should be action against the same.
"We want our country, which is a Hindu Rashtra, to remain a Hindu Rashtra," Rane told ANI, adding that "Hindus" must be protected in every way.
"Kerala is very much part of India. However, the decreasing population of Hindus is something everyone should worry about. The religious conversion of Hindus into Muslims and Christians (Islam and Christianity) has become an everyday thing there. The love jihad cases where Hindu women are targeted are also increasing there. I was comparing the situation (in Kerala) with Pakistan. The way Hindus are treated in Pakistan if such situations happen in our very own country, we must take action against that. That is what I was trying to say in my speech," Rane, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, said.
Rane further said that he was stating facts and was accompanied by a person who has helped "12,000 Hindu women" by stopping them from getting converted to "Islam and Christianity." He maintained that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have won in the Wayanad constituency because they received support from terrorist organisations.
