Responding strongly to the Congress’s criticism on AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen) being anti-secular, party chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said, “If Congress wins, the Gandhi’s and the Prince Charming would get credit for it. If they lose, it’s because of the AIMIM.” The MP from Hyderabad further added that Congress should put an end to this “nonsense” and do some ‘introspection’ and criticised them for not being able to win even 39 seats in the Bihar Lok Sabha election 2019.
Speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today after winning 5 seats in Bihar, Owaisi also said that Congress and BJP are both the same and are two sides of the same coin. “While one destroys equal opportunities by smiling, the other comes with an aggressive face,” he remarked.
However, when asked if AIMIM would extend support to the Mahagathbandhan (hours before the election results were officially announced), Owaisi said that a final decision will be taken by the party after consultation with its Bihar unit chief, Akhtarul Imaan, and the newly-elected MLAs.
Slamming Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary for criticising the AIMIM for dividing the votes, Owaisi said his party has every right to contest the election in any part of India.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera had also criticised Owaisi and his party of "partnering with majoritarian right-wing radicalisation". According to the Congress leader, “There is no difference between the majority and minority radicalisation. Owaisi’s counter-radicalisation by contesting in some seats is not the answer to BJP’s communalisation.”
Slamming Pawan, Owaisi said, “I am being accused of being radicalising. It shows the intellectual dishonesty of the Congress spokesperson. I am contesting elections to contest that; it doesn't get radicalised. The Congress, as a party, failed to give voice to that area. Your party contestants said that they will break arms and legs of AIMIM, is this not radicalising? You lose every seat, your MLA’s run away at the waving of a finger, what kind of politics are you practicing?”
He further added that Congress should change its attitude of “holier than thou attitude”.
“Your days have gone, you must wake up. You have contested in 70 seats, you know what the problem is now.”
Owaisi also said that Congress is responsible for BJP coming to power. “Congress and its leadership is politically impotent to take on the NDA government. We will fight elections, whether win or lose, we will contest for those people who don’t have the voice, for the downtrodden. Our main job is to strengthen the democracy of India and we will let people know who have been wrongly told that secularism can be put alive only with Congress, it can be kept alive with other parties also.”
Commenting on losing the Kishengunj seat, Asad said, “There may be various reasons why we couldn't win the trust of the people of that constituency. We will sit down and discuss and reflect on this.”
When asked if he will go with RJD, if necessary, Owaisi said that Seemanchal's development is of primary importance to them.
Contesting in future elections, Owaisi said, “In Uttar Pradesh, AIMIM will fight again in 2024. We will contest from wherever possible. we want to be the voice of the voiceless.
When asked about TRS loss in Dubbaka bye-polls, he said, “Have we lost? Next is West Bengal. Tell Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress leader and president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee) that we're coming. What is the state of Muslims in his area?”
The AIMIM was in the fray for 20 seats in Bihar polls — a majority of which went to polls in the third phase on November 7 — as part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front that has four other parties, including Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Watch : Asaduddin Owaisi reply to Congress leader here :