President Alvi slams ‘retrograde’ Indian society for anti-Muslim attitude

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday lashed out at Indian society over-anti Muslim attitude, slamming that only a "retrograde society” like India could encourage the promotion of RSS-inspired extremist and nefarious ideology of Hindutva and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The president said this on Twitter commenting on a tweet by an Indian journalist Rana Ayyub’s tweet who shared an advertisement of a residential apartment available for rent in a posh Mumbai locality with a clear refusal for Muslims and pets.

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The president said even in the 21st century, the Indian state is backing such bigotry. 

“Muslims and Pets not allowed. This is one of the poshest addresses in Mumbai, Bandra. This is 20th century India. Remind me we are not a communal nation, tell me this is not apartheid,” commented the journalist who works for The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other international media outlets.

She said she had been house hunting in Bandra for the last three months. Upon reading ‘Shaikh’ as her surname, she got a call from the broker on behalf of the owner with the ‘most obnoxious excuse.’

Ayyub was endorsed by another journalist Vaishna Roy of The Hindu saying that while looking for a house in Chennai, the most common question she was asked whether she was Muslim. 

“If I had been (a Muslim), a good percentage of homes would have been unavailable for me. The brokers say, sorry madam, we don't want to ask but the owner told us to,” she said.