All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president and member of lok Sabha from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi strongly rejected the allegations that his party was dividing the secular votes and helping the BJP.
In an exclusive interview to The Pioneer on Sunday at the party headquarters in Darussalam he said that it was the utter failure of the secular parties in securing the interest of Muslims and Dalits, which had forced the MIM to step in and give the weaker sections a voice.
“India is a democratic country and every political party has a constitutional right to strive and expand itself,” he said when asked about his efforts to take the MIM beyond Hyderabad and Telangana.
“India is a heterogeneous country with 300 languages and 35-40 religions. In such a country, how can you have a two-party system. On one hand you enter into a peace deal with Naga rebels who were waging a war against the country and on the other you find fault with me for peacefully and democratically raising the voice for the rights of minorities and Dalits.”
Rejecting the charge that MIM was a communal party spreading religious hatred, he said, “Our fight is not against any other community but only for the empowerment of Muslims and other weaker sections. When we ask tough questions about the failure of other parties, they say we are communal. I would not have raised these issues if other parties had not failed in ensuring justice and development, education and jobs to Muslims. When secular parties are not raising the real issues of Muslims where should we go. When we are trying to do this work, you are opposing that too by calling us communal. What is it that you wantIJ Should Muslims suffer in silence and do nothingIJ” he asked.
“The whole world is watching who is spreading religious hatred and who is communal. Such baseless allegations reflect the panic of our opponents who don’t have answers to our questions. We are the most secular party working for the empowerment of Dalits along with Muslims.”
46-year-old Owaisi, a london trained Barrister, is the cynosure of all eyes at the national level ever since he declared his intention to take his party into the messy North Indian politics specially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
His recent visit to Seemanchal region of Bihar and a mammoth rally at Kishangunj has stirred hornets’ nest and left many politics anxious.
However, the one question, both the warring sides of Bihar electoral battle were keen to know remained unanswered as Owaisi refused to open his cards whether the party will fight the Bihar Assembly elections. At the same time he did not rule out the possibility.
“Yes many people from Bihar want us to fight the elections. We will take a decision as soon as possible. I can’t say anything now,” he said evading all the questions on the subject. At the same time he was categorical in declaring that the MIM will contest the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and other States.
In Bihar, Secular alliance of ruling Janata Dal(U), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress are worried that MIM’s entry will divide the Muslim votes and the BJP-led alliance was happy over the same prospects.
When asked about these views Owaisi made a counter question, “Who is responsible for the dwindling representation of Muslims in Parliament and the State Assemblies. In 2014 elections only 23 Muslims were elected to Parliament. In Uttar Pradesh, BJP won 71 and Yadav family won 5 seats. Not one of them was Muslim. The BJP does not have a single Muslim MP. Bihar has 17% Muslims votes and only three Muslim MPs were elected. In Bihar Assembly, Muslim representation is only 8% with 19 MlAs. Was MIM in the fray in these electionsIJ It is the secular parties who are responsible as they have completely lost their credibility.”
He said that the secular parties were trying to blame him for their failures and shortcomings. “Making Muslim votes subject of debate is wrong. Why don’t they ask where the secular Hindu vote is goingIJ Where are the upper caste votes and OBC votes goingIJ Why don’t they do something to secure these votes instead of crying over Muslim votes and blaming meIJ Secular parties should introspect.”
Responding to those objecting to the expansion of MIM to other States, Owaisi asked, “Is India their jagir or a rajwada (princely State). If Modi can go to Dubai and talk to Indians there, I am an Indian and I can go anywhere in the country and talk to my countrymen.”
“In fact, we are strengthening the democracy. This will weaken the anti-democratic forces,” he said. Owaisi said that it was a wrong perception that secular parties would lose or the BJP will win because of Muslims. Giving another example he said, “In Maharashtra Assembly elections, MIM contested only 24% seats and polled 5,24,000 votes. What happened in the remaining Assembly constituencies, why the secular parties lost thereIJ Where did the remaining 55 lakh Muslim votes goIJ’
Owaisi said that secular parties do not have any strategy and will power to fight against the communal forces. “Why it should be the responsibility of MIM alone to keep the secularism aliveIJ What are these other secular parties doing for itIJ How long they will keep misleading and cheating Muslims like thisIJ”
When asked what could be the solution for the dwindling Muslim representation, Owaisi said, “MIM was working hard to provide an alternate platform to Muslims and Dalits across the country. I don’t want to make any boastful claim but we are working in that direction.”
Reacting strongly to the charge of senior Muslim Minister of Uttar Pradesh Azam Khan that the MIM was working like agent of the BJP, Asad Owaisi quipped, “he is a big man. But my question is simple. Why his party did not win lok Sabha seat in his own Rampur district. Did I contest the election thereIJ He is blaming Muslims and questioning us where as we should be the one asking questions and he should answer them.”
In a stinging criticism of the SP Government of Uttar Pradesh, he said that after 2002 violence in Gujrat, UP was only the second State where more than 50,000 Muslims were geographically uprooted and displaced since the Partition of the country. Muslims who were living there for years lost everything including their culture and way of life. Was MIM responsible for thisIJ Uttar Pradesh has 20% Muslim population. Samajwadi Party promised 16% reservations to Muslims. Did I stop them from fulfilling itIJ They promised to release the innocent Muslim youth languishing in jails. Why did they not do itIJ”
Owaisi, once any ally of Congress did not mince words in criticising the Congress Government in Karnataka for not allowing him and other MIM leaders to campaign during the recent Benglauru Municipal Corporation elections. Owaisi warned, “Today they are suppressing our rights. Tomorrow they will also face the same situation. Today they could do it because they control the State administration but I challenge them to do it at the time of the Assembly elections. Can they do it”IJ He said. “Has the Congress given up its faith in freedom of expression,” he quipped.
Unlike Maharashtra where the MIM won two Assembly seats and emerged as the main Opposition party in Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, MIM could not make a dent in Bengaluru. “The biggest reason was that the State Government did not allow us to reach out to the people by banning our meetings and disallowing even padyatras,” he said.
“By such acts and baseless allegations nobody can suppress my voice. I will continue to raise my voice,” he said.
Asked how he looked at 15-month record of the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre, Owaisi said, “It is full of failure and broken promises. This will be remembered for hate speeches and provocative slogans like love Jihad, Ghar Wapsi, Beef Ban and depriving Muslims of Maharashtra of reservations even after the Mumbai High Court supported it.”
“Even the Prime Minister said in his first speech in Parliament that his rule marked the end of 1200 years of slavery. I would like to ask him whether India was a slave country when Khaja Moinuddin Chishti came to India, when Tipu Sultan sacrificed his life fighting against the British when Muslim Ulema waged a fight in 1857. Now they are talking of change the name of Aurangabad city. What kind of talk is thisIJ” He said it was a matter of grave concern that history was being distorted and textbooks were being saffronised ever since this Government came to power.
“In Dubai, the Prime Minister said there could not be good Taliban or bad Taliban. Then I ask whether Aseemanand and Purohit or good or bad. Why the Government did not challenge the bail of the accused of Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta express blastIJ” he asked. Talking of the problems of Muslim community, Owaisi said, “There is an urgent need to change the agenda of Muslims. Muslims do not want iftar parties or a chadar for Ajmer Dargah from the Government. They want education and jobs. Political and economic empowerment is the main issue. It is for the community itself to change this agenda.”
Reeling out the statistics he said rate of urban unemployment among Muslims was 13%. “The Prime Minister is talking of 10% growth. To achieve that, the rate of unemployment should come down to 6%. Development cannot be in isolation. It can be achieved together. Our destiny is together,” he said.
14% Muslim children did not go or were not going to schools and only 3% Muslim children were reaching the level of graduation. 35% of Muslim families were below poverty line and only 1.6% Muslims were technically qualified. “Who is responsible for this situation”IJ He asked, “I am challenging the Prime Minister to reply to this. I am asking a pointed questionIJ Give us education and jobs.”
