What is wrong with chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ asks Sayed Mominul Awal, spokesman of the Assam Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Islam doesn’t prohibit saying “Jai Shri Ram”.
“For Indians, Ram was an ideal. Indian Muslims can say ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Ram Rajya is what is we are aspiring for. Ram was an epoch-maker. There can’t be any restriction on saying ‘Jai Shri Ram’,” said Awal, the Assam Minority Development Board Chairman.
Some time ago, Union Minority Affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said that if a Muslim says by his own personal will Jai Shri Ram, it is ok. “But no force should be used,” he had said.
“People following Islam could also cheer for Jesus Christ, Hanuman and Sankarguru (Srimanta Sankardeva) as they were epoch-makers. Cheering for great people can never be a religious crime,” said Awal.
He said political rivals are behind the controversy. “Some people were trying to disaffection among people by adding religious colour to ‘Jai Shri Ram’. This is done with an intention to destabilise the BJP government in Assam,” he said.
Awal said those trying to add religious colour to the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant should fist study and acquire knowledge about the BJP.
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