NAGPUR: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said the Congress and the NCP were on the verge of extinction in the State, and asked Muslims and Dalits to vote for his party in the civic elections.
Addressing a gathering in Yashodhara Nagar area of Nagpur, Mr. Owaisi attacked the “secular parties”.
He said, “[In] every election, the so-called secular parties appeal you to save secularism. Our community has always voted for secular parties.” He added, “But these parties used our votes to capture power and then neglected us. During their [Congress-NCP] 15 year rule in Maharashtra, they did not think of us. The Muslim youngsters, who tried to assert themselves, were implicated in false terror cases.”
Mr. Owaisi also took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the note-ban and said the Congress and the NCP do not have the capacity to defeat the BJP and the RSS.
He said, “The Constitution of India gives you the right to practice your religion and protect it and I have complete trust in the constitution of this country. I would love to see the disappearance of the BJP from the political landscape of India. Support your own community and party now,”
Referring to the layoffs in media houses post-demonetisation, the AIMIM chief asked the media to stop “campaigning” for Mr. Modi.
Mr. Owaisi said, “Publish my photos now, the poor people will buy your newspaper. [They] will listen to Owaisi’s alleged inflammatory speeches and will say that this man talks his language. It is time to close the shop of secularism run by the Congress and the shop of nationalism run by the BJP.”
