AIUDF chief Badruddin apologises for ’Hindus should follow Muslims’ remark

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Dec 4, 2022: AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal on Saturday apologised for his remarks purportedly targeting the Hindu community and said that he was ’ashamed’ of the controversy it stoked. The Lok Sabha MP from Assam, however, said that his comments were twisted and he had not targeted any community.

"I have not targeted any individual, nor used the term ’Hindu’. I didn’t want to break anyone’s heart," he told reporters at Hojai Railway Station in central Assam.

"But it became an issue and I am sorry for it, I am ashamed of it. It shouldn’t have happened with a senior person like me," Ajmal added, while claiming that his comments were "twisted".

On police cases against him over the issue, he downplayed it and said "police cases push politicians’ graph upwards".

"Many Hindu leaders speak daily against Muslims, but we haven’t filed cases against them," he added.

Badruddin Ajmal said that equal development and rights for everyone was at the core of his comments, which were given a different tone.

In an interview with news agency ANI on Friday, Ajmal had commented on women and Hindu men as well as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, purportedly as a response to Sarma’s remarks on ’love jihad’.

The AIDUF supremo reportedly advised Hindus to marry young to produce more children like Muslims.

"Muslim men marry at the age of 20-22, and Muslim women also marry at 18 after the permissible age by the government. They (Hindus) keep one two or three illegal wives before marriage, they don’t give birth to babies, enjoy themselves, and save money. After the age of 40, they get married under parental pressure... So, how can one expect that they will bear children after 40? If you sow in fertile land then only you can bear good crops. There will then be growth," Ajmal had said.

"They (Hindus) should also follow the formula of Muslims and get their children married at a young age, get them married at the age of 20-22, get the girls married at 18-20 years and then see how many children are born...," he had added.