AIMIM national spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar joined the Congress on Wednesday, accusing the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party of claiming it wants to defeat the BJP while targeting opposition parties that are seeking to dislodge it from power.
Waqar joined the Congress at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of AICC in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Rajendra Pal Gautam, state Congress president Ajay Rai and AICC Minority Department chairman Imran Pratapgarhi.
Explaining his decision to switch parties, Waqar said those who want to remove the BJP should work towards that objective instead of fighting other opposition parties.
“All those who love the country have only one objective, to dislodge this anti-national government of the BJP and form a secular government which works for people's interest,” he said.
Waqar said that during his years in the AIMIM, he felt the party paid lip service to its stated opposition to the BJP while “fighting the Congress, the SP” and other parties seeking to defeat the ruling party.
“If we keep fighting the opposition and do not allow it to blossom, then who are we helping the BJP?” he asked.
“If we are true nationalists and want to remove the BJP honestly, then our objective should be to fight the BJP. If we are fighting the enemies of the BJP, then we are friends of the BJP,” Waqar said.
He asserted that the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and his team were the ones fighting the BJP across the country.
Gautam welcomed Waqar's induction, saying the Congress was leading a movement on issues including education, employment, students, women and marginalised sections under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
“Rahul Gandhi ji is firmly raising the voice of every section and continuously cautioning the government on every front,” Gautam said, adding that leaders from various parties were joining the Congress and strengthening the hands of party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi.
Waqar had been a prominent AIMIM voice in Uttar Pradesh and was considered close to party chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
His move to the Congress comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, which are due early next year. The ruling BJP is expected to face a joint challenge from the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.
Waqar's defection could potentially complicate Owaisi's efforts to expand the AIMIM's electoral footprint in Uttar Pradesh, where the party has sought to establish itself as a political force among Muslim voters.
(With inputs from PTI)