New Delhi: Signalling a tough line on the issue of chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' despite controversies, BJP chief Amit Shah today said 99% people were agreeable to hailing 'Mother India' with the slogan and the party would "convince" the rest.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Shah justified the government's action on the JNU row, insisting that some people deciding to hold a programme to commemorate Afzal Guru's death anniversary in itself is "anti-national".
In his over an hour interaction, the BJP President expressed confidence of that BJP will form a government in Assam but reacted cautiously about its prospects in other states, saying the party will work to increase its influence and play a role in government formation in these states.
Responding to a number of questions on the controversy surrounding the issue of chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', Shah said that the particular slogan was in vogue even before RSS and the BJP came into picture.
"99% of people agree with the slogan. This debate is irrelevant. Those who do not want to chant this should be asked what is their problem with this slogan. We will convince the 1% people, who do not want to chant it," Shah said but declined to answer how will the BJP go about it.
"You leave it to us, how will we do it," he said.
When asked whether MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who said he would not raise the chant hailing 'Mother India' "even if a knife is put to my throat", is a traitor, he said," No one becomes a traitor due to just one thing" and added "we will have to consider all other things and then come to a conclusion".
The BJP chief also said there is no need to say Bharat Maata Ki Jai under pressure from RSS or BJP. "This slogan is being chanted much before RSS and BJP came to power," Shah said.
Asked about controversial comments made by party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya that those who do not chant the slogan should be sent to Pakistan, the BJP chief said one should rather listen to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and he himself said.
To queries on the JNU row, he said the very fact that an event was organized on February 9 to commemorate Afzal Guru's hanging is anti-national.
"There is no confusion in BJP about this. If some people decide to hold a programme to commemorate his death anniversary, this itself is anti-national," he said.
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