PM referred to my interview to give a message: Arif Mohammad Khan

Jun 26, 2019

New Delhi, Jun 26 (ANI): After Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted former Union Minister Arif Mohammad Khan in his speech in the Lok Sabha, the latter on Tuesday sided with him and said that PM Modi used his quote to send across a message. "The Prime Minister has referred to my interview, to give a message that for how long any section of the people, I am not talking about any particular community, can allow itself to be deceived by the power-wielders. It is a clear cut message," Arif Mohammad Khan told ANI here. Further explaining the incident, Khan said, "6-7 yrs ago, during a TV interview, I was asked whether any pressure was brought upon me to take back my resignation (in connection with Shah Bano case). I told them after resigning, I disappeared from my house." He added, “I further said, next morning at Parliament, I met Arun Singh who repeatedly told me I was correct morally but this would cause a lot of inconvenience to the party. Mr Narishma Rao told me ‘tum bahut ziddi ho. Shah Bano ne bhi apna stand badal liya hai’.”Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier asked Congress to support the Triple Talaq Bill saying it can make up for two "missed opportunities" on the issue of women empowerment in the past-once on Uniform Civil Code and the other on Shah Bano judgement. The Triple Talaq Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last week amid a huge uproar from the Opposition parties, which are against criminalising the offence. The Opposition raised strong objections at the introduction of the Bill itself. After a brief discussion, the motion for tabling the bill was put to vote. As many as 186 members voted for the introduction of the Bill and 74 against.