Not Islam, Constitution in danger, says Asaduddin Owaisi at Conclave South 2023

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday claimed there was no religious polarisation happening in the country and that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was promoting a 'hate agenda'. "Polarisation happens when there are two equal sides. In reality, there is a majoritarian hate agenda which the BJP is promoting,” he said while speaking at India Today Conclave South 2023.

Owaisi said the saffron party had alienated and marginalised Muslims more than ever. He said the Hindutva agenda of the BJP was paying dividends to the party in the elections and those belonging to the Muslim community were casting their vote out of fear of becoming second-class citizens.

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"The state where I come from, the BJP president says they will demolish the secretariat because it resembles Muslim domes. Where is the other side in this? Amit Shah comes and says they will remove the four per cent reservation. Where is the other side in this," he said.

'ISLAM NOT IN DANGER, COUNTRY IS'

When asked if he was playing on the fear of Muslims, the firebrand leader denied the charge and said, "Islam can never be in danger. It is the country that is in danger, the social fabric and the Constitution that is in danger." He then referred to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. During the inauguration, he said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was flanked by Hindu seers and prostrated before a religious symbol, Sengol.

"Is he the Prime Minister of one religion? That is why I’m saying this is the one-way propaganda of the BJP," Owaisi said. He also compared the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament to a "religious festival" where the Prime Minister was the "superstar".

OWAISI ON THE KERALA STORY ROW

Owaisi also criticised The Kerala Story, which covers the story of the forced conversion of girls in Kerala by operatives linked to the Islamic State (IS). He said the Prime Minister had become the chief promoter and ideological scriptwriter of 'The Kerala Story'. "You cannot use freedom of expression to promote religious hatred. That is what the movie has done," he said.

OWAISI ON CONGRESS

The Hyderabad MP also targeted the Congress, saying it was trying to fight the BJP by emulating its ideology, i.e. Hindutva. "As long as you (Congress) try to follow BJP, you will never defeat them. Fight them on ideology and turn the youth against them," he said. Owaisi said the fight between the BJP and the Congress had devolved to one question: "Who is a bigger Hindu -- Rahul Gandhi or PM Modi?"

The AIMIM chief also reacted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the US that minority communities were "feeling attacked" under the Modi government. He said when Congress was in power, Muslims were still attacked and killed. "What did the Congress do to give justice to victims of Gujarat? I’m not targeting the Congress. These are historical facts. Their PCC president in Telangana says they will build 100 Ram Mandirs."