They want to transform India into majoritarian country: Asaduddin Owaisi on BJP manifesto
HYDERABAD: All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the release of its manifesto where it made several promises on issues such as women safety, Article 35A and 370, Sabarimala, Uniform Civil Code and so on.
Speaking at a public meeting under the Malakpet Assembly Constituency in the city, the three-time Hyderabad MP said, "In his manifesto he says that he will guarantee women's safety. Ehsan Jafri was killed (in the Gulbarg Society massacre during 2002 Gujarat riots). His wife Zakia Jafri is still waiting for justice. Visit Zakia at her home before elections and promise her justice.
"Call Bilkis Bano, call Najeeb's mother, that Najeeb, who was beaten up by Sangh Parivar goons in Jawaharlal Nehru University before the night he disappeared. Najeeb's mother still longs for her son. Akhlaq's mother, Pehlu Khan's wife is in pain and Junaid's mother lost his son. And you will guarantee women's security? Nahi, Wazir-e-Azam, mahila aur aap dur dur ki talluk nei hai."
The AIMIM chief also laid into Modi, who in BJP's manifesto promised that he will remove Article 35A and Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir upon re-election. Indicating that Modi had the means to do the same in the last five years, Owaisi said, "To those who voted for BJP in elections, my following statement is for you: In Kashmir, Mehboob (Modi) was in coalition with Mehbooba. You also had 280 MPs in Parliament. What did you do for Article 370? Think BJP supporters, they have taken advantage of your feelings and emotions."
"I can tell you with responsibility that you cannot remove Article 370. You can't even remove Article 35A because these were enforced when the Maharaja of Kashmir signed the accession -- not merger -- with India. We had said that there would be Kashmir's Constitution and India's constitution would also be implemented over there. They are duping you," Owaisi added.
The Hyderabad MP also criticised BJP for mentioning in its manifesto that they would give justice to victims of triple talaq and that they would uphold the cultural values of Sabarimala. He said, "In Sabarimala, its the matter of your faith, but isn't the matter of my faith important too? They do not want secularism but want to transform India into a majoritarian country."
On BJP's promise of implementing Uniform Civil Code, Owaisi said, "I want to ask my Hindu friends, isn't Dayabhaga and Mitaksara different in Hindu laws? They are two different school of thoughts. Do you want them to be one? If you are talking about UCC Mr Modi, isn't the rebate on income tax applicable on Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), applicable on me too? Give it to me, I am a Muslim. I have a undivided family too."