Anti-India Rant in Dubai: Protest Mounts against Indian Scribe & Muslim League MP

Anger is brewing among Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in the United Arab Emirates after an Indian journalist maligned the dignity of the motherland in a public function in Dubai. Indian journalist Bhasha Singh allegedly introduced herself as a person hailing from a country where democracy and secularism are in peril. Her anti-national remarks appalled the hundreds of Indians, including guests and Indian Consul General, gathered at the function. To protest against the anti-India remarks, Indian Consul General Vipul walked out of the function.

Bhasha Singh was speaking at the release function of a book, biography of former Muslim League MP and Minister of State for External Affairs late E Ahmed. “Having serious threat to the secular fabric, the Constitution and democracy…, it is a very difficult and dangerous time… I think in these dangerous times, we need to have different kind of tools, different kind of methodologies to save the country,” she said.

Endorsing the anti-national views of Bhasha Singh, Muslim League MP Abdul Wahab unleashed a vicious attack on India. He alleged that Indian democracy is in danger and further said, “It is true. I can say that anywhere not only in the parliament, even outside India.” Various NRI groups have now come up against Abdul Wahab’s scathing attack on India on foreign soil. “Wahab is a member of Indian parliament. He should not have maligned the dignity of our motherland and democracy in a foreign country. Stooping to this level is quite unbecoming of an MP,” an NRI social activist said.

The members of Indian People Forum, a Dubai-based NRI forum, said that such unfortunate incidents should not have happened in a function where Indian Consul General was invited as the chief guest. The people who have attended the function informed that Bhasha Singh was introduced as the journalist who played a key role in organising farmers’ protests and marches in various places in the country.

With the incident garnering public attention, after Malayalam channel Janam TV reported it, NRI social activists have revealed that social and cultural events being conducted in the Gulf countries by vested interest groups often turn out to be platforms to malign India, its Constitution, and its elected Union Government.