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Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Owaisi addresses rally, flays RJD, Cong for silence over CAA
Owaisi sought votes on behalf of AIMIM’s state unit chief Akhatrul Iman
Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), addressed a rally in poll-bound Bihar on Sunday afternoon and sought votes on behalf of the party’s state unit chief, Akhatrul Iman.
He also took the opportunity to condemn both the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who are part of the Grand Alliance (GA), or the mahagathbandhan, for their studied silence over the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 and the National Register for Citizens (NRC).
“When you were holding protests against the CAA, 2019 and the NRC in Seemanchal, both the Congress and RJD neither extended their support nor did say anything. They had preferred to remain silent,” Owaisi alleged.
“Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his party the Janata Dal (United) are sitting on the lap of the BJP and Mohan Bhagwat, the sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” he further alleged.
Purnia, Kishanganj, Katihar and Araria districts comprise the Seemanchal, which has a total of 24 seats and a substantial Muslim population.
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Owaisi addressed a rally, which saw an impressive turnout, at Machhatta in Amour in Purnia district on Sunday afternoon. He reacted sharply over Bhagwat’s comment during its annual Vijayadashami speech that Muslim brothers have been misguided about the CAA, 2019 and said that “Muslims are no longer kids”.
He spoke out about the vexed issue of “Muslim infiltrators in Seemanchal” and lashed out at the RJD and the Congress leaders for their studied silence.
“It is only AIMIM and its leader Akhatrul Iman, who has raised the issue seeking justice for the Muslims, who have been denigrated as infiltrators in Seemanchal for long,” he said.
He also raised the issue of Seemanchal’s backwardness.
“If you can help us win elections, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Seemanchal no longer remains backward,” he promised.
“Our leaders along with people of Seemanchal will rush to CM in Patna to get the development work done,” he promised.
He cited his hometown Hyderabad’s recent flood tragedy and said “I went to the (Telangana) CM’s house at midnight, when floodwaters entered into the houses of the people and asked him to act promptly to give relief to those affected.”
He took a dig at the development model of Bihar CM Kumar. “Hospitals are without doctors and schools are without teachers. We can’t leave you in this deplorable condition any longer,” he promised to the voters.
AIMIM leaders have lavished praises on the late Mohmmed Taslimuddin of the RJD for his untiring efforts to alleviate the conditions of the poor people from Seemanchal.
Taslimuddin’s son Shahnawaz Alam is contesting the Jokihat seat on AIMIM ticket against his elder brother and RJD candidate, Sarfaraz Alam.
AIMIM is contesting in 24 assembly seats in Bihar. The party is focusing on Seemanchal, where it had opened its account in the state in a by-poll last year.
AIMIM candidate Qamrul Hoda had defeated the Congress nominee in Kishanganj, which is considered to be the grand old party’s bastion.
Seemanchal will vote on November 7, the last phase of the Bihar elections.
The first two phases will be held on October 28 and November 3.
The election results for the 243-member Bihar legislative assembly will be declared on November 10.
