'Muslim by choice, don't impose your beliefs on us': Asaduddin Owaisi hits back at Baba Ramdev

Asserting that the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya was linked to the nation's pride, Ramdev had claimed on Friday that Lord Ram was the ancestor not only of Hindus, but also of Muslims.

"The Ram Temple must be constructed. If not in Ayodhya will Ram Temple be built in Mecca-medina or the Vatican city? It is an undisputed truth that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram and Ram is not only the ancestor of Hindus but also Muslims. This is not a political issue and nor a vote bank," Ramdev said. 

Hitting back at Ramdev, Owaisi said it is wrong to thrust your belief onto others.

"We are not against anyone's belief. But, it is wrong to thrust your belief on others. Such things are said every time by the Sangh Parivar and RSS. We just want to say that we, Muslims in India, we have become Muslims on our own...," he told reporters here. Nobody forced their ancestors to embrace Islam, the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said.

Owaisi said Constitution gives everybody right to follow their religion. 

"By saying this...what message you would like to give. Is the Constitution of India big or your thinking is big. Constitution gives us permission to follow the religion which we would like to follow," Owaisi, the Lok Sabha MP, said.

"Showing someone in poor light... why are you doing this," he said.

Asked about criticism against his remarks on Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, he asked what was wrong in it.

"I would like to ask what is wrong in it. You say, how many Adivasis have been given? Dalits, Scheduled Castes. Prime Minister himself said in Lok Sabha that in the time when UPA government was there, he (PM) presented statistics and said NPAs increased so much, loan was given this much and who was Finance Minister then and you gave the Bharat Ratna to him," Owaisi said.

Owaisi had earlier reportedly said "Bharat Ratna has become an exclusive club of the Brahmins and the upper castes." He was also critical about Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of BJP.