Minorities Party raps Sena for drive against Dilip Kumar

“Certainly, the relations between the two countries are not good and Pakistan is taking all possible steps to destabilise India. Even Dilip Kumar has condemned Pakistan forsending infiltrators into India, particularly in Kargil. But it will be wrong to single out Dilip Kumar and ask him to return the award, which was also conferred on the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai,” Rizvi remarked.

Rizvi recalled the contribution of Dilip Kumar during earlier wars with Pakistan. Then Dilip Kumar had not only contributed for the cause of the soldiers, but had personally visited the affected areas to meet the jawans, he said.

“All those who new the secular and impartial nature of Dilip Kumar will not agree with the stand taken by the Sena against him. At such a juncture, like minded as well as secular persons should come out openly in support of Dilip Kumar,” he added.

Rizvi reiterated that members of the minority community are unlikely to support former defence minister Mulayam Singh in the forthcoming elections. “I think members of the minority community are irked by the manner in which he dealt with the row over arrest of persons under the TADA,” Rizvi said.Elaborating hiscontention, Rizvi said when he was in power, he had assured that all the cases under TADA will be withdrawn. Subsequently, when the then prime minister Deve Gowda set up a high-level committee to review the cases under TADA, Mulayam Singh had refused to accept the chairmanship of the committee.

One one hand, he refused to come to the rescue of the minority communities, on the other hand, he had asked for a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore to Pakistan. “Had we really extended financial assistance to Pakistan, I think they would have used them to buy weapons to fight against India,” he added.

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