INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Muslim intellectuals recently, an Urdu newspaper asserted that it stood by its version of the Congress president's comments in its June 12
Today, the "Inquilab" newspaper put out another report claiming that its version had been corroborated by the Congress minority cell chief,
who strongly denied it.Did Rahul Gandhi say at that meeting that the Congress is a Muslim partyAfter union minister Nirmala Sitharaman
raised it last week and attacked the Congress chief, the opposition party denied it but that didn't stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from
raking up the reported comments at a rally.Inquilaab reporter Mumtaz Alam Rizwi said he stood by his report but what Mr Gandhi said was
nuanced."I never used the term Muslim party
Rahul Gandhi said Congress is a party of Muslims
He said 'haan, (yes), because Muslims are weakened, they have become another version of Dalits in the country'," said Mr Rizwi.Digvijaya
Singh is among those in the Congress who have questioned the veracity of the report by a person who wasn't even in the meeting."It is the
Why should I reveal my sources" said Mr Rizwi
He said his biggest proof was the backing of the Congress minority cell chief, Nadeem Javed, who led the delegation of Muslim leaders.Mr
"It is unfortunate that one Urdu newspaper wrote this - no one else - and the prime minister picked it up," he said.His party spokesperson
Randeep Surjewala said: "East India company's new version is the BJP
Divide and rule was then the principle, divide the state is now the principle."Despite the Congress denial, the BJP taunted Rahul Gandhi
"BJP wants to ask Rahul Gandhi why are you mum Your appeasement policy has damaged country to a great extent
History of partition is a testimony of this," said union minister Prakash Javadekar.Most of the Muslim intellectuals at the meeting with
Rahul Gandhi have denied the comments attributed to him."No, Rahul did not say that
He said the Congress is a party for all Indians," said Farah Naqvi, writer and activist.Historian Irfan Habib said he was shocked to hear
"I am actually shocked to hear this because nothing like this exactly happened at all
Nobody, not Rahul Gandhi or the people present there even touched this topic, it's totally a figment of imagination."
