RSS says Owaisi anti-national, BJP's Shah looks to other factors

 New Delhi, March 17
As the RSS on Thursday dubbed AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi as anti-national for his refusal to say 'Bharat mata ki jai', BJP president Amit Shah said other factors will be taken into account to judge Owaisi's patriotism.

"Anyone who refuses to say 'Bharat mata ki jai' is anti-national for us," Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said at the India Today conclave here.

Shah also echoed similar sentiments at a subsequent session at the event.

"We will explain the meaning of 'Bharat mata ki jai' to Owaisi. Whether he is anti-national or not will be concluded after taking other factors into account," Shah said.

"Ninety nine percent people in India have no problem saying 'Bharat mata ki jai'. If you also start considering one percent dissent so seriously, how will the country be run," the BJP leader said.

Both leaders however were categorical that students who participated in an event on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on February 9 were anti-national.

"People who are anti-India are anti-national for us. If a student raises slogans in favour of a criminal who was hanged by our Supreme Court for attacking the temple of democracy, he is anti-national for us," Hosabale said when asked to comment on the JNU event.

"To commemorate the death anniversary of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru itself is anti-national and seditious," Shah said.