Shah Faesal snubs trolls; says India is the land of equal
‘Indian Muslims enjoy unthinkable freedoms’
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Oct 26: The appointment of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak as the Prime Minister of United Kingdom has evoked a huge online debate across the globe especially the trolls questioning the availability of such equal opportunities in India.
Taking to microblogging site twitter as per Kashmir Despatch, Shah Faesal, who himself has been in the eye of storm for his flip flop decisions, has made a series of comments highlighting the pluralistic ethos of India and magnanimity of its democratic set up.
Soon after his appointment as UK’s PM, Sunak is being mentioned by a particular political class in India including some Jammu and Kashmir politicians who try to score brownie points.
Many such politicians including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti have questioned such opportunities for minorities and other than the Hindus in India. Rebutting such a notion, Shah Faesal has said: “It’s possible only in India that a Muslim youngster from Kashmir can go on to top the Indian Civil Service exam, rise to top echelons of the government, then fall apart with the government and still be rescued and taken back by the same government.”
He has also cornered Pakistan that bars non Muslims from assuming top posts in the Government.
“Rishi Saunak’s appointment might be a surprise for our neighbours where the Constitution bars non-Muslims from top posts in the Government, but Indian democracy has never discriminated ethnic and religious minorities from the rest. As equal citizens, Indian Muslims enjoy freedoms that are unthinkable in any other so-called Islamic country,” Faesal has tweeted as per Kashmir Despatch.
In another tweet, he has added: “My own life-story is about a journey, shoulder to shoulder, with each fellow citizen of this nation of 1.3 Billion people, where I have felt owned, respected, encouraged and at times pampered at every step of the way. That’s India.”
“From Maulana Azad to Dr. Manmohan Singh and Dr. Zakir Hussain to HE President Droupadi Murmu, India has always been THE land of equal opportunity and the road to the top is open to all. Won’t be wrong if I say I have been to the mountaintop and seen it for myself,” Faesal tweeted.
On Sunak’s appointment as PM of UK Mehbooba mufti had tweeted: “Proud moment that UK will have its first Indian origin PM. While all of India rightly celebrates, it would serve us well to remember that while UK has accepted an ethnic minority member as its PM, we are still shackled by divisive & discriminatory laws like NRC & CAA.”
Reacting to her tweet, Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP leader and Minister of Law & Justice and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, also rebuffed Mehbooba on twitter, saying: “Saw Mahbooba Mufti’s tweet commenting on the rights of minorities in India after the election of Rishi Sunak as PM of UK. @MehboobaMufti Ji! Will you accept a minority in Jammu and Kashmir as Chief Minister of the state? Please be frank enough to reply.”
