‘We cover our heads in the temple, then do it in front of Maulana…’ Swara Bhaskar breaks silence on photo with Sajjad Nomani

Swara Bhaskar had come out to campaign in Maharashtra elections to support her husband Fahad Ahmed and had shed a lot of sweat. During this time, a photo of her was viral on social media, in which she was seen with Maulana Sajjad Naumani. There was a lot of controversy later regarding this picture which was seen on social media. Now, in a conversation with ‘BBC Hindi’, Swara was asked a question about this picture, to which she gave a befitting reply. She was asked in this interview that after seeing her picture, people said that she was wearing a conservative outfit and liberal people were wearing it. It seemed that this was because of polarization (the process of dividing into two opposing groups). Let us tell you that Fahad had shared the pictures of this meeting on social media. Fahad had written in this post, ‘Sir, Hazrat Maulana Sajjad appeared in the service of Nomani Sahib and he/she blessed us with a lot of blessings.’ Now clarifying her views on this picture, Swara narrated its story.

Swara said- Fahad had asked the manager to share the picture.

Swara said, ‘There is a lot of turmoil in elections. That meeting had actually taken place many days ago. Fahad had asked our social media manager to post the photo. And the social media manager posted that photo. I think no one had any idea that there would be so much uproar over that issue.

‘Sajjad Nomani Saheb was one person whom we met, there are many such people’

he/she further said, ‘All I have to say is that Sajjad Nomani Saheb was one person whom we met who was polarizing, we met many such people who could be polarizing on both sides. I had never heard the rest of the comments of Sajjad Naumani Sahab for the first time. I was meeting him/her for the first time, so I did not have that kind of context. I read this later… when the ruckus started.

Swara said- I think nothing can be more Indian than this.

While expressing her views, Swara Bhaskar further said, ‘Of course, I do not advance with this, I have expressed all my views very openly. I am a feminist, but who said that feminists do not respect the beliefs of others or do not show respect to people superior to them. Who said that when we go to a temple we cover our heads, when we go to a Gurudwara we cover our heads, so now you were going to meet the Maulana, when you were going in front of the mosque, you covered your head…I think. Nothing can be more Indian than this.

Maulana Sajjad Nomani had talked about stopping hookah and water.

Let us tell you that before the voting of assembly elections in Maharashtra, one of his/her statements was much discussed. he/she had appealed to the Muslim community that if those who support BJP, then hookah-watering of such people should be stopped. However, later Congress also distanced itself from Maulana’s statement.