Narendra Modi insulting Muslims, will ensure he does not become PM again: Asaduddin Owaisi

Asaduddin Owaisi. File pic

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with heaping "insults" on Muslims by claiming that "mangalsutras" of women and quotas for deprived castes will be taken away by the INDIA bloc and given to the community, reported news agency PTI.

Addressing an election rally in the Karakat Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, Owaisi, whose party is not a part of the opposition coalition, vowed to ensure that Modi did not get a third consecutive term in office, which would lead to "scaremongering in the name of Hindus and Muslims, temples and mosques", reported PTI.

"Modi spoke a lie when he said Muslim women beget more children. He has also been insulting the community again and again by saying Muslims want to lay their hands on 'mangalsutras'. A true Muslim will always protect his sisters and their mangalsutras," said the Hyderabad MP, at the rally held in Nasriganj sub-division of Rohtas district. Owaisi, whose party has fielded candidates in several seats in the state including Karakat, said, "Vote for our sister Priyanka Chaudhary. It is my promise that my party will ensure that the next PM of the country is not Narendra Modi or any other leader of the BJP," reported PTI.

He claimed that if Modi returned to power, nobody would listen to the problems of the people. "When the youths will raise their voices about job losses, they will try to raise the bogey of locks (on Ram temple). He had no qualms about hundreds of industrial units getting locked up forever on account of demonetisation," said the AIMIM chief. Owaisi also reacted with disgust to the PM's remark that the INDIA bloc was performing "mujra" for its Muslim vote bank. "Is it the type of language one expects from the 'wazir-e-azam' (prime minister)? Is it something one could say in the presence of mothers and sisters?" he asked. He also mocked the PM for the remark that he saw himself as someone "sent by God for a purpose" and whose energy was "not biological", reported PTI.

"Coming from someone who till the other day called himself a 'chowkidar' (watchman) and 'sevak' (servant) of the people, these words denote arrogance," said Owaisi. He claimed the Agniveer scheme gives an idea about the PM's stand on job creation. "If he comes to power again, the government may bring in similar four-year contractual services for paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF and SSB," he claimed. Owaisi expressed hope that his party will be doing well in the Sheohar Lok Sabha seat, where voting took place earlier in the day, as also in Karakat and Buxar which will go to the polls on June 1. "In Kishanganj, Lalu Prasad got so worked up that he issued an appeal through a video released ahead of the polls," he said, reported PTI.

"Lalu Prasad said Owaisi's party was there only to split votes. I must say Lalu Prasad has hoodwinked Muslims for years in the name of MY (Muslim-Yadav) combine. He has used the community for votes to secure power for himself and his family members," he alleged. Owaisi pointed out that the RJD, which was contesting 23 out of 40 seats in Bihar, "could find only two Muslims as prospective candidates. An equal number of Prasad's daughters are also contesting the elections. That shows the party's priority".

Referring to Prasad's son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who has been spearheading the RJD's campaign, Owaisi said, "Ever since we announced our candidates in Bihar, you have begun to see the token presence of Muslims in his rallies." He, however, said that Muslims of the state should remember that they can not just cast but also seek votes. "In the next assembly polls we will try to demonstrate that Bihar can have a Muslim CM," he added. "Karakat is known for its carpet business. But the youngsters here must remember that it is okay to weave carpets but not to keep rolling these out for those who seek to use you in their quest for power," Owaisi quipped.

(With inputs from PTI)