Suresh Chavhanke, notorious for his far-right extremist ideology, alleged that passengers had to endure the heat while the Muslim driver prayed inside an air-conditioned bus.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Sheikha Hend bint Faisal Al-Qasimi, a princess from the royal family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Wednesday responded strongly to a tweet by Sudarshan TV’s Editor-in-Chief, Suresh Chavhanke, regarding secularism.
Recently, Chavhanke claimed that some passengers were left waiting outside a bus in the UAE because the Muslim driver was performing prayers inside the air-conditioned bus.
Sheikha Hend is used to taking to social media to respond to Islamophobic comments and tweets from Hindutva leaders in India.
Chavhanke, notorious for his far-right extremist ideology, alleged that passengers had to endure the heat while the Muslim driver prayed inside an air-conditioned bus. In response, Sheikha Hend shared a tweet from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) that clarified the incident, media reports said.
According to the RTA, the bus was outside its operational hours at the time, and for safety reasons, no one was allowed to enter the bus before or after the scheduled trip.
Strongly criticising Chavhanke, Sheikha Hend emphasised that the UAE is not a secular country and asked him to have accurate information. She supported the bus driver, stating that he was praying after work hours in a Muslim country that embraces religious tolerance.
She further highlighted that the driver was not engaging in harmful actions such as “evicting people from their homes or businesses, unlike certain neo-Nazis who continue to perpetrate such acts.”
She concluded by advising Chavhanke to learn how to respect others who do not share his religious or political beliefs, drawing from the principles of peace in her own faith.
Chavhanke has a history of making Islamophobic remarks, amounting to hate speeches, on his television channel and other public platforms. His inflammatory statements are aimed at inciting disharmony and communal tension.
__________
Photo: Sheikha Hend bint Faisal Al-Qasimi.