Doda, Aug 17: Making an observation about the historical context of religions in India, former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, in a viral video from the Thathri area of Doda district, said that everyone 'was born a Hindu' in this country.

 

 

 

These remarks at a gathering in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir in which he said that "all individuals were initially associated with Hinduism in this nation."

 

A video on social media has gone viral in which Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Muslims in India owe their origin to Hinduism. He added that Islam is merely 1500 years old. Azad added that all Muslims were previously Hindus and it is later that they converted.

 

Further, he added that all the Muslims in the valley were previously Kashmiri Pandits and later on they converted to Islam. He said that Hinduism was one of the oldest religions and the Mughal Army brought a mere 10-20 Muslims to India while the majority were converted.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "Hinduism is the oldest religion. Only 10-20 Muslims came to India as part of the Mughal Army, the rest were converted. I spoke about a lot of things in Parliament which didn’t reach you. A BJP leader said that one came from outside, and I said no one came from inside or outside. In India, even in the world, Islam came 1500 years ago, Hindu religion is too old."

 

"We have example in Kashmir, there was no one Muslim in Kashmir 600 years ago, Kashmiri Pandits were converted to Islam. All are born in this religion," said Azad.

 

"Therefore, I say that all are originally born in the Hindu Dharma only. Considering the importance of this 9th August (The August Kranti Din) I think everyone – whether Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, Brahmin, Dalit, Kashmiri, or Gujjar, are all part of this homeland and we shall be together to make this home. This is our homeland. None of us has come from outside. Our roots are in this land, we are born in this soil, and we shall return to it after we die. Similarly, when our Hindu brothers die, they are cremated. And after the cremation, their family members also take their ashes to the rivers in this country," he added.

 

In August 2022, Ghulam Nabi Azad declined the post of chairman of the campaign committee and also resigned from the political affairs committee of the Jammu and Kashmir state unit of the Congress. He refused to accept the posts within hours of his committee appointment and left the party. Later, Ghulam Nabi Azad formed his own political party Democratic Progress Azad Party.

 

In 2023, Ghulam Nabi Azad remained in the news for his continuous criticism of the top leadership of the Congress party, especially the Nehru-Gandhi family.