Asad Owaisi dares other parties to debate on condition of Muslims

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi today challenged other political parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against him. Addressing party workers here, he claimed since Independence, the condition of Muslims in the country has gone from bad to worse and none of the other political parties, including the Congress, has ever bothered to address the issue. "SP, BSP, Congress and BJP leaders call me communal and accuse me of giving inflammatory speeches. Do flowers shower from the statements of their leaders?" he asked. "I challenge all the other parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against me," said Owaisi. The MP from Hyderabad claimed that the contribution of Muslims in India's freedom struggle and that 'maulanas' had issued 'fatwas' against the British were "not mentioned" anywhere by historians. He also claimed that Muslims in India have trusted "everyone" but got nothing except "backwardness" in return and called leaders from the community representing other political parties such as Azam Khan of the SP, Naseemuddin Siddiqui of the BSP and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress "Muslim dealers". Accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh of "spreading casteism", he said "Yadavwaad", instead of "samajwad" (socialism) had taken root in the state. Taking a jibe at Azam Khan, Owaisi said that the UP minister's buffalo was not stolen but it "ran away" after being "harassed". He said following Azam's footsteps, a BJP MP has now lodged a complaint alleging that his dog 'Kallu' has been stolen. "Politics in Uttar Pradesh is now revolving around a buffalo and Kallu," said Owaisi. In a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently taking a tough stance on hooliganism in the name of cow protection, the AIMIM chief said, "I have told (Union Home Minister) Rajnath Singh that all the so-called cow vigilantes actually belonged to his party."