Hamas should not be declared a terrorist organisation and instead, we should all stand with Hamas, Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq said in an exclusive conversation with Republic. Speaking about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the SP MP said that efforts should have been taken to end the war and the help that Palestinian people needed was not given.
#BREAKING | Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq makes shocking statement, openly backs Hamas
— Republic (@republic) October 30, 2023
"Why should Hamas be declared a terrorist organisation? Instead, we all should stand with Hamas. It is Israel against whom action should be taken they are ruthlessly killing… pic.twitter.com/hHQJMGQry3
Rahman was responding to a question by Republic whether Hamas should be declared a terrorist organisation, to which the MP said, “Why should it be done? There are few terrorists, and today Hamas is fighting for its rights.”
Targeting the Modi government, the SP MP added, “Whether it was under Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Manmohan Singh, help was always given to Palestine. Today what is happening in this government is that instead of helping Palestine, it is silent. And this time they are not providing the help that was needed.”
This false claim by the SP MP comes days after India sent humanitarian assistance to Palestinians including 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material. This includes essential life-saving medicines, surgical items, tents, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, sanitary utilities, water purification tablets among other necessary items.
🇮🇳 sends Humanitarian aid to the people of 🇵🇸!
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 22, 2023
An IAF C-17 flight carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the people of Palestine departs for El-Arish airport in Egypt.
The material includes essential life-saving medicines,… pic.twitter.com/28XI6992Ph
Hitting out at Rahman, BJP leader Anila Singh while talking to Republic, has said, “It is shameful, the statement which has been given by a member of Parliament of our country. He is a member of Parliament from the Samajwadi Party. And if no reaction has come from Mr Akhilesh Yadav then it seems this is the thought process of the Samajwadi Party which is being endorsed by Mr Akhilesh Yadav.”
#BREAKING | As Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq openly backs Hamas, BJP hits out
— Republic (@republic) October 30, 2023
"It is a shameful statement by a MP from Samajwadi Party. No reaction has come from Akhilesh Yadav. This is a thought process of SP," BJP spokesperson Anila Singh said. #SamajwadiParty #SP… pic.twitter.com/KDYH0JZpX4
The statement from the SP MP comes when the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas has reached its 25th day. Casualties have been recorded at around 9,000 on both sides. Israel has been conducting strikes on Hamas and its terror infrastructure in Gaza in retaliation to the deadly terrorist attacks on 7th October.
The controversial statement from the SP MP is not a first. The Samajwadi Party MP has made communal statements over several issues in the past. In September, Rahman demanded that there should be space to offer Namaz in the new Parliament building.
In February this year, he asserted that India has never been and would never be a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and claimed that Islam is the only true religion.
In October 2022, Shafiqur Rahman Barq went on a misogynistic rant and claimed that allowing women to walk without a burqa in public would only enhance wildness and promiscuity in men. He had also asserted that chanting Vande Mataram was against the tenets of Islam.
The Samajwadi Party leader was earlier booked for hailing the Taliban and comparing the radical Islamist outfit to Indian freedom fighters. He was also booked in connection to violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh.
