“Shariah comes before Constitution”: Jharkhand minister Hafizul Hasan’s statement on Ambedkar Jayanti
On 14th April, Jharkhand’s Minority Welfare Minister Hafizul Hasan stirred major political unrest on Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. In an interview, Hasan said, “For me, Shariah is greater. We carry the Quran in our hearts and the Constitution in our hands. Muslims walk with the Quran in their hearts and the Constitution in their hands. So we will first hold on to Shariah, then the Constitution. For Muslims, Shariah comes first, followed by the Constitution.”
While Hasan pushed for Shariah, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, hailed Ambedkar as a crusader for equality. The CM’s and Hasan’s statements contradicted each other.
BJP reacts to the ludicrous statement, says such people belong in Pakistan
Hasan’s statement led to sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which termed it an insult to the Constitution of India. Reacting to the statement, BJP’s Kamlesh Ram said, “Those whose hearts lie with Shariah are welcome to go to Pakistan and Bangladesh. India will follow only the Constitution of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar, and it shall remain supreme.”
Babulal Marandi demands ouster of Hafizul Hasan
Senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi shared a video clip of Hasan’s statement and condemned his preference for Shariah over the Constitution. In his post, Marandi said, “For Hafizul Hasan, the Constitution doesn’t matter; only Shariah does. He is clearly loyal to his ‘mission’ and his community. During elections, he sought votes with folded hands from the poor, Dalits and tribals. Now he is pushing an Islamist agenda.”
A threat to tribal identity, says BJP
Marandi further warned that such hardline thinking is a threat to the cultural identity of Jharkhand, particularly the Santhal Pargana region. He said, “Any person holding a constitutional post who promotes extremist ideologies becomes a danger not only to the present but also to future generations.”
Speaking to ANI, he said, “It has become absolutely clear that today, the people of Congress and JMM who roam around with a copy of the Constitution in their pockets and claim to be its protectors are making a mockery of it. The reality has come out from the mouth of Hafizul Hasan Ansari himself — he considers Shariah to be above the Constitution. The BJP demands that Congress and JMM provide a clarification on this and remove such a minister from his post. Congress and JMM must make it clear whether they agree or disagree with this statement.”
Constitution and Shariah both important, says Hasan in damage control
As soon as controversy erupted over his statement, Hasan came out in damage control mode. Speaking to the media, he claimed, “Both the Constitution and Shariah are equally important. I said Shariah is in my heart, and the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar is in our hands. Both hold equal significance.”
“They should go to Pakistan” – Sanjay Nishad
Nishad Party chief and UP minister Sanjay Nishad also reacted strongly. He said, “Those who believe in Shariah already made a place for themselves in the name of Allah — it’s called Pakistan. If they want to follow Shariah, they should move there. We will ensure visas are arranged for them.”
CM Hemant Soren and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha are yet to issue any statement.
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