On Sunday (17 September), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that he was not concerned over the fact that his party was not invited by the opposition I.N.D.I. Alliance. While speaking to ANI, Owaisi noted that the opposition alliance didn’t invite several parties from the Hindi heartland, Maharashtra, and the northeast, including the Bahujan Samaj Party and some northeastern parties.
Going ahead, he emphasised that the I.N.D.I. Alliance is self-styled secularism ke chaudhary (self-appointed flagbearer of secularism).
Owaisi said, “I don’t care that I was not invited to this alliance. In fact, Mayawati and KCR are not there. Many northeast parties are not there. These people have become the self-styled secularism ke chaudhary.”
Stating that I.N.D.I. Alliance has failed to fill the political vacuum, AIMIM Chief claimed that there is a scope for a third front. Owaisi asserted that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao should take the lead on the third front.
He added, “I have told our CM (KCR) to come to the front and make a third front taking the parties which are not there in the opposition alliance. There is a political vacuum which will be filled if KCR takes the lead. I don’t know whether KCR will take the lead for such a front but I feel the I.N.D.I. Alliance is not able to fill the political vacuum.”
When asked about the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that is currently taking place in Hyderabad, Owaisi launched an attack on the Congress party accusing them of double-speak on reservation to minorities. He questioned the Congress government in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh for not doing enough for the minorities in their state.
He said, “The CWC has recommended an increase in reservations for Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). But what about Muslims? Why aren’t they talking about the Muslim reservation in Maharashtra?”
The AIMIM chief added, “What has Congress done for the minorities? Please show us what have you done in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. When Junaid and Nasir were burnt to death, their families were given ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh. When Kanhaiya Lal was killed by terrorists, his family was given an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh. The Congress discriminates while giving ex-gratia to people killed by terrorists.”