'You'll Be Able To Look Them Into Eyes When...': Owaisi's Message To Muslims In Maharashtra

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday appealed to the Muslim community in Maharashtra to unite, cast their votes and become leaders.

Pic: AIMIM Twitter

Mumbai: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday appealed to the Muslim community in Maharashtra to unite, cast their votes and become leaders. The AIMIM chief while addressing a public meeeting in Mumbra said, "You can't become one just by raising slogans. Unite, cast your votes & become leaders. When talks will be held, you will be able to look them in the eyes."

Owaisi also took a dig at the leaders hailing from the political families of Maharashtra including Uddhav Thackeray. "When NCP's Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule can become leaders, Uddhav Thackeray can become a leader solely on the virtue of being his father's son, Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis can become leaders, can't Maharashtra's Muslims be like Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde," he said.

The AIMIM chief is in Navi Mumbai, where the national executive meeting of his party is being held. 

Live: बैरिस्टर @asadowaisi और AIMIM सांसद @imtiaz_jaleel मुम्ब्रा में जनसभा को संबोधित कर रहे हैं l#aimim #AsaduddinOwaisi #Mumbai https://t.co/IAaWapvZf3 — AIMIM (@aimim_national) February 25, 2023

'State Sponsored Violence': Owaisi On Activities Of 'Cow Vigilantes'

Earlier on Saturday,  Asaduddin Owaisi on attacked the Narendra Modi government for going soft on 'gau rakshak' vigilante groups claiming these serve the purpose of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Speaking to reporters in Navi Mumbai, he also said alliances for the upcoming civic polls, as well as Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Maharashtra next year will be decided in due course.

Referring to the killings of two men from Rajasthan in Haryana on February 16, Owaisi said the Modi government had given a long rope to such 'gau rakshaks' (cow protectors).
Nasir and Junaid, both residents of Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes on February 15 and their bodies were found in a charred car in Loharu in Haryana's Bhiwani the next day.

"This is nothing but state sponsored violence against Muslims. The activities of such groups further the purpose of the BJP. They (BJP) want to create hatred against Muslims," Owaisi said.

An FIR was registered on February 16 at Gopalgarh police station against five people under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) 143 (unlawful assembly), 365 (kidnapping), 367 (grievously hurt after kidnapping) and 368 (wrongfully keeping in confinement) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).

The Modi government can take action against the BBC for an adverse documentary, an apparent reference to Income Tax department searches against the new agency, while such "terror groups" go untouched, Owaisi alleged.