Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), expressed surprise at his party’s exclusion from the recent opposition party gathering that took place in Patna, Bihar, on June 23. During his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made claims that minorities in India were not subject to prejudice. Owaisi further attacked Modi for his statements.
Imitiaz Jaleel, a colleague of Owaisi’s and a member of the Lok Sabha from Aurangabad, added his voice to the criticism by stating that the AIMIM was the party at the conference that was most committed to defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Jaleel questioned the absence of AIMIM despite Asaduddin Owaisi having a sizable support in several states.
Owaisi addressed the situation by saying, “I do not know why we were not contacted. Jaleel’s concern is a serious one. Should the thirsty seek out the water source or should the water seek out the thirsty? He emphasized the claimed prejudice Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis, and other outcast groups were subjected to under the BJP-led national administration. Owaisi emphasized the need of taking these concerns into account while developing a strategy to oppose the Narendra Modi government.
The AIMIM leader expressed worries about the state of law and order in Maharashtra and encouraged the bureaucracy and government to prioritize upholding the rule of law, saying that although political parties may come and go in power, stability should predominate.
In response to PM Modi’s remarks on prejudice against minorities, Owaisi brought up the present unrest in Manipur, where he said that 300 churches had been burned. As examples of minority persecution under the present administration, he also cited discriminatory actions including the Citizenship Amendment Act, the termination of the Maulana Azad scholarship, and reported violence by cow vigilantes.
“The biggest discrimination is that the BJP has 300 Lok Sabha MPs but none of them are Muslims,” Owaisi said in his criticism of the BJP’s lack of Muslim representation. The Union government also does not have a Muslim minister. In addition, he called for a study into the issue of the insufficient preparations made for Haj pilgrims this year despite higher costs.