Handwara: Awami Itehaad Party (AIP) President and MLA Langate, Engineer Abdul Rasheed Sheikh on Tuesday said that delay in releasing feature film ‘Padmavati’ has exposed the double standards of BJP government.

“The fringe groups like Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasaba and Rajput Karni Sena seem to be having full patronage of both state and central governments not only in Rajasthan but everywhere,” the AIP leader alleged.

In a statement issued here, Er Rasheed said, “Those who used to condemn Kashmiris over Zaira Waseem and other similar issues by calling them Wahabi radicals and fundamental Islamists must answer that why are they so soft on people who have announced a reward of Rs 1.00 Crore for beheading film actor Deepika Padkoun.”

He said that not only for Zaira Waseem but the ultranationalist media and leaders of right wing political parties including BJP also left no stone unturned to prove Muslims as a community short sighted radical people, when they raised genuine concerns about Tasleema Nasreen and Salman Rushdi.

“It is shameful that while a large number of politicians of a particular ideology and the media fraternity do everything to defame Muslims and connect their genuine concerns with terrorism, are giving full patronage to fringe elements who have openly attacked Sanjay Leela Bansali,” he said.

MLA Langate said that with fringe elements of a particular faith have got the liberty to do what they wish, a religious scholar Zakir Nayak has been forced to leave India without any proper substantial material.

“On the other hand the fringe elements who are threatening to behead Deepika Padkoun even while debating in TV studios are roaming free and now even the Chief Ministers of few states also are following the fringe groups asking for banning the film. Fringe elements who are enjoying power in states and centre have now even openly been talking about demolishing Taj Mahal only for the reason that it has been constructed by a Muslim Mughal emperor,” he said.

Er Rasheed reiterated that it is in India’s own interests to respect the sentiments of minorities and shun away the double standards and the need of the hour is to restrain from just targeting Muslims and their faith.

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