Meerut: "We are not Indians by chance but by choice" - This is what Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind general secretary Maulana Mehmood Madani said on Monday.
He also said that Muslims stayed back in India even after Partition as they loved their motherland.
He added that those who hurt a person's religious values or disrespect a religious leader should be given stringent punishment, including death penalty, as per Aaj Tak.
At the same time Madani appealed to all communities to come together in the interest of the nation.
Madani made the remarks while addressing the 'Huloos-e- Insaaf' conference convened by his outfit at the Faiz-e-Aam college.
Moreover, he demanded that the UP government should fulfill the promise of 18 percent reservation to Muslims made during the 2012 Assembly polls.
Madani said that the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Jamia Milia Islamia be kept intact and innocent Muslims lodged in prisons should be released.
Hindu and Christian leaders who were present at the event asked the people to rise above caste and religion to live in harmony.
The leaders also took a pledge to rise above caste and religion and work for humanity.
(With Agency inputs)
