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Don't approve of Shazia Ilmi's remarks: Kerjriwal

| | Apr 24, 2014, at 01:51 am
New Delhi, Apr 23 (IBNS): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) architect Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said he disapproved of party leader Shazia Ilmi's remarks on Muslims.

"Shazia Ilmi shouldn't have said what she said. Her choice of words was poor. We don't approve of it, she shouldn't have said so," Kejriwal told CNN-IBN channel.

"We don't practise politics of religion. I am not trying to influence any particular community, not doing anything for minority politics," he said.

Meanwhile, Shazia llmi on Wednesday defended her remarks on Muslims and said she was speaking 'sarcastically'.

"I am shocked to see how my statement was distorted by the media. I was speaking sarcastically," said llmi. 

"What I was trying to say is that the Muslim community for long has been used in the name of secularism by political parties," she added.

Coming under fire, Ilmi earlier also had tried to clarify her remarks.

"Well someone was accusing muslims of being communal. I think muslims keep voting for cong which uses them as vote bank," Ilmi tweeted.

"Its like misquoting Arvind's (Kejriwal) quote on being an anarchist. The context was contextually removed and just' I'm an anarchist was played out'," she said.

In the video, Ilmi was seen telling the leaders, "Muslims need to be less secular and should become a bit communal for their own interest."

She also urged the leaders to vote for the AAP instead of the Congress party.

Her party has also disapproved of her comments.

"Regarding Shazia Ilmi's clip - AAP does not believe in this kind of politics nor does it endorse it.....All our representatives should be careful in their choice of words so that there is no scope for misinterpretation," the AAP said in a Twitter post.

AAP leader Manish Sisodia ‏tweeted: "I've seen Shazia's clip. She should have not said it. AAP does not believe in communal politics. Our politics is to unite all Indians.

Ilmi is AAP's candidate from Ghaziabad seat.

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