Hyderabad: MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said Muslims need not worry about the outcome of the recently-held Lok Sabha elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory does not allow him to deprive Muslims of their constitutional rights.
Mr Owaisi was addressing the Youm ul Quran meeting at Macca Masjid on the occasion of Jummat-ul-Vida when he said that those who were disturbed over the recent incidents of killings and harassments should remember the history of Islam. “Our community has sustained even the mightiest of battles. No one can terminate us,” he said.
Mr Owaisi said, “Hindustan mein hum kirayedaar nahin, barabar ke hissedaar hain.” (We are not mere tenants in India. We are equal stakeholders.) “We are not second-grade citizens. We are entitled to the same rights as our other fellow citizens, as guaranteed by the constitution of India. No one is authorised to seize our constitutional rights,” he added.
He asserted that every Indian citizen had the right to follow the faith of their choice. “Just like Modi can visit temples and pray in caves, even Muslims have an equal right to visit mosques and to live by the teachings of the Quran. Modi securing over 300 seats in the elections does not imply that he can deprive us Muslims of our constitutional rights. We will continue to follow our religion as we have done so far,” he said.
Mr Owaisi then went on to explain how everybody has to attain their end, citing King Namrud’s example to testify his argument. King Namrud (a biblical figure), who asserted himself to be the one dealing life and death, was punished by the Almighty with a mosquito that had entered his nostrils and caused him so much pain that he kept hitting his head against objects (expecting relief) until he brought death unto himself.”
Mr Owaisi said that during Ramzan the community should use spirituality to defeat evil. He directed the Muslim community to strictly follow the Sharia and to stay united even in the face of adversity.
He criticised those who had objected to his political expansion plans citing that secular votes would be divided if he participated in elections outside Hydera-bad. “To what extent can one slave away in the name of secularism? Who is responsible for the rise of communal forces?” he asked.
“We achieved victory from Aurangabad. Our candidate in Bihar secured over three lakh votes. Although we contested from the Kishangunj seat, BJP could not secure a majority there,” he said, indicating that he has resolved to expand his party's base.
He said that the Muslim intellectuals opposing him had failed to comprehend the present political situation. “We have mastered the art of politics and conspiracies, so I recommend that you leave our political moves to us,” he said.
Owaisi dons cap of traffic police on way to Iftar
Motorists at Fateh Darwaza in the Old City on Friday had a special traffic ‘cop’ regulating the flow of vehicles — MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
Mr Owaisi was going to an iftar party when he was caught in a traffic jam in Fateh Darwaza Road, where road widening work was in progress.
Mr Owaisi waited for a while for the traffic to clear. When he saw the vehicles were not moving, he got down from his vehicle and started clearing the traffic. People were surprised, but his efforts paid and the traffic bottleneck was soon cleared. Mr Owaisi then returned to his vehicle and left for the iftar party.
