Never complained against India; I am a patriot: Delhi DMC chief

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) A day after Delhi Minority Commission (DMC) Chairman Zafarul Islam Khan warned the “Hindutva bigots” of an “avalanche” over their “hate campaigns, lynchings and riots”, Khan called himself a patriot to the core who always defended India abroad.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, he also said that he has not complained against his country to any foreign government or organisation, nor does he intend to do so in the future.

In a long social media post on Tuesday, Khan had warned the “Hindutva bigots”, saying that Indian Muslims have not complaint to the Muslim world about the “lynchings” and “riots” in India.

“Mind you, bigots, Indian Muslims have opted until now not to complain to the Arab and Muslim world about the hate campaigns and lynchings and riots. The day they are pushed to do that, bigots will face an avalanche,” Khan had said.

He also said that the “bigots forgot that Indian Muslims enjoy huge goodwill in the eyes of the Arab and Muslim world for their services over centuries to Islamic causes, excellence in Islamic and Arabic scholarship, cultural and civilisational gifts to world heritage.”

On Wednesday, he said that nothing more should be added to his post.

“This tweet is in the background of how the issues of Muslims have been dealt with in our country, be it lynching, riots, media bashing or redressal of their problems in political and administrative processes,” he said.

Khan said that while he never complained about India to any other country, he was vocal about the problems in the country.

“I have not complained against my country to any foreign government or organisation nor I intend to do so in the future. I am a patriot to the core and I have always defended my country abroad. However, at the same time, I have always been vocal about the problems in our country like any other country, but I also believe that we and our political, constitutional and judicial system are capable of tackling them,” he said.

Khan also said that he always defended India in the Arabic media.

“According to my knowledge, Indian Muslims have never complained against their country to outside powers. I, like other Indian Muslims, believe in rule of law, the Indian Constitution and the fine institutions our country has,” he said.

The DMC chairperson also said that he was never a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in Delhi.

“The Commission I head is a statutory and independent body governed by the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, 1999. AAP or its government in Delhi do not run the Commission and are not accountable for what the Commission does,” he said.

Saying that his views have been distorted and many false statements and opinions have been attributed to him, Khan said he “will take appropriate legal steps available to me.”