All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday alleged that the BJP was attempting to turn the country into a theocracy.
Mr. Owaisi was speaking to the media at the party headquarters in Darussalaam, where he condemned the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s decision to order meat shops to remain closed on Tuesdays.
“They are trying to destroy the pluralism of this country and turn it into a theocratic India,” Mr. Owaisi said even as he demanded that the BJP, which is in power in Haryana and at the Centre, to rescind the order.
“This is a wrong decision, and similar decisions will be taken in other places,” Mr. Owaisi said.
The Hyderabad parliamentarian said that the decision was akin to imposing faith on people, which he said was against the Constitution of India. He demanded that the BJP govern the country on the basis of the Constitution and not faith.
The AIMIM chief also criticised the Karnataka government’s decision to ban beef, and pointed out that around 1.5 people from the Qureshi community have lost their livelihoods.
Mr. Owaisi evaded questions on his intentions to contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls.
