Secular parties took only Muslim votes: Asaduddin Owaisi

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: “Maharashtra which is the second largest State, is also the financial capital of the country. The secular parties did not get a single Muslim candidate in the 48 Lok Sabha (LS) Constituencies. Our only candidate Imtiaz Jaleel contested in Aurangabad LS Constituency. All came together to defeat him. Now, there is no representation of Muslims in the LS from the State. Secular parties used Muslim votes like an ATM machine,” said Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) without taking the names of Congress and NCP.

Asaduddin Owaisi arrived in the city on Saturday. Leaders and activists of the party welcomed him at the Airport. He stayed in a private hotel and met office-bearers who came from different parts of the State. He held the district-wise leaders meeting.

Talking to the newspaper this evening, AIMIM chief Owaisi said that he took a review meeting for the ensuing Assembly election.

“We are fighting with BJP in the LS. We are also fighting in the field. The incidents of mob lynching were reported at ten places across the country after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for the third time. Most injustice is being done to Muslims in the country. Even if the Central Government is on the verge of collapse, we will stand against it,” he said.

When journalists asked him about the agitation of Jarange, Owaisi said that he deserved congratulations. “Maratha candidates were elected in Marathwada on a high level due to him. The population of Muslims in the country is 14 per cent while their representation in Lok Sabha is just four per cent. Those who seek votes of Muslims should think about it,” he asserted.

On the question of whether Imtiaz Jaleel would be seen in the State Legislative Assembly, Owaisi replied that it is sure that he (Jaleel) would play an important role in the politics of the State in the next few days.

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Assembly to be fought with new zeal

In the beginning, former MP Imtiaz Jaleel criticising secular parties, said “After 40 years, the State Legislative Council is without a Muslim MLC. Today, we took a district-wise review. We will fight where the party is strong. We have no alliance talks with any party yet. Thinking of contesting the election on our own. It is not certain how many seats we will contest.”

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Big upheaval in the next few days in the State

He said that the State politics would witness a major upheaval in the next few days. “We have to see who is going where. As a party, we have a right to fight,” said Jaleel.