AIMIM wants to ensure BJP’s defeat in UP polls: Owaisi
AIMIM ready for talks with the SP or BSP on pre-poll alliance, but the dialogue would be over the Muslim community’s share in power after the formation of non-BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, he says
LUCKNOW All-India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the aim of his organisation was to ensure the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2022 assembly election.
“The AIMIM is ready for talks on pre-poll alliance with the SP or BSP, but the dialogue would be over the share of the Muslim community in the power after the formation of the non-BJP government in Uttar Pradesh,” said Owaisi
while launching the party’s election campaign in Rudauli town of Ayodhya on Tuesday.
The successive governments of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress were responsible for the plight of Muslims in UP, he said.
Muslims constitute 19% of UP’s population whereas the Yadav community leader became CM though they were a mere 9% of the population. Muslims were denied government jobs, he added.
“Muslims have been denied share in power, education and basic facilities and have been denied justice. The community in UP is leaderless and no political party is interested in addressing the grievances of Muslims. The interest of political parties is in the votes of the Muslim community,” said Owaisi.
“Due to the support of Muslims, leaders of Congress, SP and BSP became Prime Minister and chief minister. Today, Muslims feel cheated as they have been dumped by parties who sought their votes in the name of secularism,” he said.
“I have been raising my voice on the floor of the Lok Sabha for justice to the Muslim community. I have challenged the might of the BJP that has 300 members in the Lok Sabha,” said the AIMIM leader.
Owaisi said he had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make it clear if the Indian government considered Taliban a terrorist organisation. “The government should come out clear over the issue of Taliban as Pakistan is going to gain after Afghanistan’s takeover by Taliban.
The Indian government has invested over ₹35,000 crore in the development of Afghanistan. Now, Taliban has taken over the country, which is not good for India,” he added.
Earlier, addressing a press conference, Owaisi announced that gangster turned politician and former MP Atiq Ahmad and his wife Shaista Praveen had joined AIMIM. Charged in several criminal cases, Atiq is lodged in a jail in Gujarat.
Replying to a question over Atiq’s joining, the AIMIM chief said several BJP leaders were facing criminal cases. While 37% of the BJP MLAs in UP had criminal cases against them, 116 MPs were also facing criminal cases, he added.
Owaisi will address a ‘vanchit-shoshit’ conference in Sultanpur on Wednesday and in Barabanki on September 9.
