The Hindu : New Delhi News : “Do not bring religion into everything”

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Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008
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“Do not bring religion into everything”

- Photo: V. V. Krishnan

Making a point: Former Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana Chander Mohan, now Chand Mohammed, with his newly wed wife Anuradha Bali (now Fiza Mohammed) addressing the media in the Capital on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: “Can you recite the Hanuman Chalisa? Do not bring religion into everything.”

This was how an angry Fiza, the second wife of former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chandra Mohan alias Chand Mohammed, who converted to Islam, reacted to a reporter’s demand to her husband to recite a prayer during morning ‘namaz’ at a ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by Press Club of India here.

As the question was posed, Fiza alias Anuradha, a former Assistant Attorney General of Haryana, stood up and angrily reacted to the reporter leading to a verbal duel as Chand Mohd sat quiet.

The couple - Chand Mohammed and Fiza - are in the news after they resurfaced after a month of disappearance, announcing their conversion and marriage.

Chand Mohammed, the son of former Congress leader Bhajan Lal, was earlier married to Seema and was dropped from the Haryana Cabinet after his second marriage came to light.

The couple were persistently asked whether their conversion to Islam was a matter of convenience.

“From childhood, I had an inclination towards Islam,” was Mohammed’s answer while Fiza turned a little philophical saying, “Parameswar (God) or Allah comes into one’s life first and then people.”

When asked whether Allah came to their life first or embracing Islam was for remarriage, both of them said, “it is not the case. We read namaz everyday.”

When asked why he was late in embracing Islam and was it a matter of convenience?, he replied, “It (timing) is my personal choice.”

Chand Mohammed claimed he had “not done any injustice” to his first wife by marrying for a second time and said he would prove the legality of his second marriage if someone challenges it in court.

About the possibility of reconversion to Hinduism under pressure from both their families, he said the question does not arise. - PTI

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