Irfan Habib takes ‘illiterate’ jibe at PM Modi, says Amit Shah’s name contains Persian word

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh): Eminent historian Irfan Habib has taken an ‘illiterate’ jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while stating that Home Minister Amit Shah should change his name as it contains a Persian word.

Addressing an event of the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Irfan Habib said both PM Modi and HM Shah attack Muslims calling them termite. “Why do you call them termite, just because they are Muslims”” he asked.

“He says they talk only about rulers not about the people. I don't know where he has read history; I doubt he has even read it,” the historian said. “If he starts reading books, he will understand how illiterate he is,” he added.

“They want Muslims to be removed from history; Tipu Sultan’s name to be erased from history,” he said, hitting out at the ruling dispensation. “This is against the composite culture of India,” he added.

Attacking the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, Habib said the CAA is a “draconian law” which will impact the poor Muslims most. It will lead to corruption, he suggested.

Habib further said Shah



in Amit Shah’s name is a Persian word so the Home Minister should change his name.

He also attacked freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and said it was him who had propounded the two-nation theory.

“We all know Godse was Savarkar’s friend. Soon, Bharat Ratna may be announced for Savarkar,” he added.

The historian’s remarks have come in the wake of the controversy over the amended citizenship law, which was passed by Parliament in December last year. A Gazette notification on the coming into force of CAA was issued last week.

The country has witnessed violent protests over the CAA as well as NRC, which many have claimed that are targeted at the Muslims. However, the Union government has clarified that the CAA will not take away citizenship of any Indian national as it was aimed to only provide citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

PM Modi has also denied any move to launch a nationwide NRC, saying the exercise was conducted in Assam only at the direction of the Supreme Court. Amit Shah had earlier talked about a pan-India NRC.