Guwahati, July 7 All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief and Lok Sabha MP from Assam's Dhubri constituency Badruddin Ajmal on Thursday claimed that his forefathers were Hindu.
"My forefathers were Hindu. Due to the atrocities by a small group of Hindus, many Muslims like my forefathers had to convert themselves into Islam," he said, adding they were, however, not forced to convert.
Taking a dig at the Sangh and the BJP, Ajmal said: "The agenda of Hindu Rashtra is a political gimmick that these 5 per cent Hindus use as a political tool to gain votes. It will forever remain a dream."
A few days ago, Ajmal appealed to Muslims in Assam not to sacrifice cows during the upcoming Eid celebration and requested them to offer the 'Qurbani' (sacrifice) using other animals to fulfil the religious obligation.
The appeal, however, created an uproar in Assam which even irked many Muslim leaders in the state who have opposed him.
On this, Ajmal on Thursday told mediapersons: "I have made an appeal to respect our Hindu brothers' sentiments. Even many Muslim religious institutes do not support cow sacrifice."
According to him, Darul Uloom Deoband, the country's largest Islamic academic institute also issued a similar appeal a few years ago.
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