Patna (Bihar) [India], November 23 : Bihar Minister Mohd Zama Khan on Sunday negated the remarks made by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani regarding the treatment of Muslims, and said that they are respected everywhere.
Speaking to ANI, Khan said that leaders in Bihar have never given "step-motherly" treatment to any community.
"If we talk about Bihar, the leaders we work with have never treated any community step-motherly. They talk about taking everyone along. Certainly, in the coming days, under the leadership we have in Bihar, we will take everyone along. The Muslim community gets respect everywhere, and development work is definitely done for them as well," the Bihar Minister said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rashid Alvi advocated for action against those "spreading terror and breaking the law", and advised against "destroying" an entire university.
"Take strict action against those who are responsible, terrorists, spreading terror, breaking the law. Whoever they are, it does not mean that you destroy the entire university. How can you do that? Whatever Arshad Madani said is correct to some extent," Alvi told ANI.
The Congress leader recalled and criticised the "won't allow any Khan to become Mayor" statement made earlier by Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Ameet Satam. Alvi questioned whether it was the BJP or the public that decided on the same.
"Before what he said, a senior BJP leader from Maharashtra had said that we will not allow any Muslim to become the Mayor of Mumbai. How can you say that? The decision will be taken by the BJP or the public?" Alvi said.
Arshad Madani on Saturday expressed concerns about the challenges faced by Muslims, highlighting what he described as discrimination against Muslims in India, pointing to issues such as the jailing of individuals like Azam Khan and the situation at Al-Falah University.
He contrasted the situation in India with the election of Muslim mayors in cities like New York (Zohran Mamdani) and London (Sadiq Khan), to counter the notion that Muslims globally have become "helpless, finished, and barren".
He claimed that "no Muslim can become a university vice-chancellor" and if they become "they will be sent to jail," while referring to government actions against Al Falah University, following the involvement of their doctors in the Delhi terror attack.
"The world thinks that Muslims have become helpless, finished, and barren. I don't believe so. Today, a Muslim Mamdani can become mayor of New York, a Khan can become mayor of London, whereas in India, no one can even become a university vice-chancellor. And even if someone does, they will be sent to jail, as Azam Khan was. Look at what is happening today in Al-Falah (University)," he said.
Additionally, Arshad Madani accused the government of "ensuring that they (muslim) never raise their heads."