You say 'I love Modi' not 'I love Mohammad': Owaisi

His remarks come amid continuing tensions in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, following a protest over the posters that turned violent last week. Speaking at a public meeting in Hyderabad on Thursday, Owaisi questioned the direction in which the nation is heading. 

"In this country, one can say 'I love Modi' but not 'I love Mohammad'. Where are you taking this nation? If someone says 'I love Modi', the media also becomes happy," he said. He further asserted, "If someone says 'I love Mohammad', then that is objected to. If I am a Muslim, it is because of Muhammad. There is nothing above and beyond that for the 17 crore Indians who participated in the country's independence." 

Owaisi's remarks come against the backdrop of a tense situation prevailing in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, where protests over "I Love Mohammad" posters on September 26 turned violent. -- ANI