)
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday termed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's communal remark against personnel of the armed forces as mean and insulting to the nation's ethos.
"I have met very few officers, which would indicate that what Azam Khan had said would validate upon them. Whatever he has said doesn't have any meaning, it doesn't have a head or a foot in it. When our soldiers go for their duty and sacrifice their lives with the sole aim of securing the borders of our nation. It is another thing that they have different beliefs, but when they are in the battlefield, they think only about the motherland. If one makes comments by bringing religion in the purview of the army, then, it shows his mean mindedness. Such people are only insulting the ethos of our country," Khurshid said.
On Tuesday, Khan referred to the role played by what he called "Muslim soldiers" in the 1999 Kargil conflict while campaigning in Ghaziabad.
"Those who fought for victory in Kargil were not Hindu soldiers. In fact, the ones who fought for our victory were Muslim soldiers," Khan said.
Khan also went on to say that no one can guard the country's borders better than those from the Muslim community.
"Recruit us in the Indian Army. No one can guard the borders of our nation better than us," he said.
Strongly defending his remark that Muslim soldiers fought for the country during the Kargil war, Khan said on Wednesday that his statement should be welcomed, and asked why people should feel bad when talking about the contributions of the Muslim community.
"What is wrong with my statement? It should be welcomed," said a defiant Khan.
"I want to say that if we sacrifice our lives on the borders, if we take back our mountains from Pakistan in the war, then why do people feel bad about it? Why can't we talk about the contributions of Muslims for the country?" he asked.
He further said that it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are questioning the contribution of the Muslims in the country.
