Owaisi in Rajya Sabha during the Ayodhya temple debate

New Delhi:

Bringing out all guns blazing at the BJP-led Center during a debate in the Lok Sabha on a decision on opening of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said he has great respect for the deity but “hates” Nathuram Godse, the attacker who shot Mahatma Gandhi was shot and killed.

“I have great respect for Lord Ram but I hate Nathuram Godse because he killed the person whose last words were 'Oh Ram,'” the AIMIM MP, who is upset with the ruling BJP during the debate on Ram temple in the House, said.

Taking the attack to the ruling party at the Center to a higher degree, Owaisi demanded that the BJP come out with a clarification on whether the government has a “religion of its own”.

“I want to ask today: Is this government led by Prime Minister Modi meant for a particular community, for the practitioners of a particular religion or for the entire country? Does this government have a religion of its own? I think this country does not have a religion of its own.” “He should not defend any particular religion,” Owaisi said.

The AIMIM chief also called on the government to clarify whether the decision to inaugurate a Ram temple in Ayodhya and a 'Pran Pratishtha' for the deity on January 22 was only meant to signal the victory of one religion over the other.

“By this decision at the January 22 event in Ayodhya, is this government sending a message that it represents the victory of one religion over another? What is the bigger message they are sending to the 17 crore Muslims in the country?” asked the AIMIM leader.

Owaisi also criticized the BJP for naming leaders from the minority community after Muslim invaders and rulers, and asked: “Am I a spokesman for Babar, Jinnah or Aurangzeb?”

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha also held a discussion on Shri Ram Lalla's 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya on the last day of the 17th Lok Sabha.

Addressing the Senate during the debate, BJP national president JP Nadda said that Pran Pratishtha Day marks the return or rebirth of the spiritual and cultural conscience of the country.

“When we talk about a 500-year-old history, it is a history of slavery and oppression. However, January 22, 2024 will be considered a day of rebirth and rebirth of the country’s spiritual and cultural conscience. This day will remain unforgettable for thousands of years,” Mr. Nada said.