Aurangzeb row: Don't spread hate, UP minister Rajbhar tells Muslim leaders

Ballia (UP), Mar 7 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh's Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar Friday urged Muslim leaders to stop spreading hatred and instead focus on the welfare of their community through education and employment.

Reacting to the Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra MLA Abu Azmi's recent remarks eulogising Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president warned that such statements were harming the image of the Muslim community.

"Muslim leaders should stop sowing the seeds of hatred. They should talk about better education, healthcare, jobs, and employment for their community. They should work for peace and brotherhood instead of inciting division," he said.

"By spreading hatred, they have placed the entire community in a position where it is now viewed with suspicion. I appeal to such people to stop spreading hatred and instead fight for the betterment of society. They should refrain from making baseless statements," Rajbhar added.

Azmi has been suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly till the end of the Budget Session over his Aurangzeb remarks. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has accused the Samajwadi Party of glorifying the Mughal ruler while disregarding India's cultural and spiritual heritage.

Taking to reporters on Friday, Rajbhar also defended the Yogi Adityanath-led government's strict stance on tackling crime in Uttar Pradesh. "There are three solutions for criminals, either dead or in jail." Asked whether he would resign in protest over the alleged harassment of SBSP worker Umapati Rajbhar, the minister dismissed the idea, recalling that he resigned from the government once in 2017.

"Our goal is not power but justice for the poor, irrespective of their caste or religion," he said, adding the question of quitting the alliance comes when there is no action by the government machinery on complaints but in this case, it was not so. PTI