Owaisi Becomes Hero of India!

Pakistan is rattled by Asaduddin Owaisi’s strong stance. Their social media is attacking him, but does it really matter? The whole of India stands with Owaisi.

After Operation Sindoor, the seven delegations that exposed Pakistan abroad have done a remarkable job. Everyone expected Shashi Tharoor to tear into Pakistan in the US and other countries and he did just that. Tharoor’s remarks impacted Colombia so much that it withdrew its statement expressing solidarity with Pakistan over the loss of lives in the Indian Army’s operation! Undoubtedly, all of India admires Tharoor. However, the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi, adopted such a strong stance in Muslim countries that he has become a hero of India. He tore apart Pakistan’s conspiracy to spread hatred in India.
This isn’t the first time Owaisi has lashed out at Pakistan. When Pervez Musharraf was President, an Indian delegation including me, managing director of Punjab Kesari Ashwini Chopra ‘Minna’ and Owaisi had visited Pakistan. Ashwini and I certainly gave Pakistan a piece of our minds on their own soil, but the aggressive stance Owaisi took and the way he slammed the Pakistani government was extraordinary! I still remember Owaisi’s words: “Pakistan should not worry about the Muslims living in India!” But this time, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria, Owaisi attacked Pakistan with facts, and even called Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief General Asif Munir ‘stupids’ and ‘jokers’.

In Kuwait, Owaisi recounted an incident involving Pakistani army chief General Munir. During a dinner held to celebrate Munir’s elevation as Field Marshal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was presented with a photo by the former. It was claimed that the photo showed an attack by Pakistani artillery on India. The image depicted multiple rocket launcher systems firing simultaneously. Owaisi exposed the truth: That image was actually taken during a 2019 military exercise by the Chinese army. The photo is available on the official website of the Chinese military, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army). Mocking them, Owaisi remarked, “Even to copy something, you need brains. Since these stupids don’t even have brains, they can’t be expected to even copy anything!”

Seven Indian delegations went to 33 countries to expose Pakistan, but it is Owaisi who is trending the most on social media. The head of this team is BJP MP Baijayant Panda. Other members of the delegation include Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Harsh Vardhan Shringla. While Owaisi is being widely praised in India for his bold stance, there is considerable unease in Pakistan. One reason is that Owaisi is speaking very clearly: Pakistan should not even speak of Islam. India has more Muslims than Pakistan, and Indian Muslims understand and practice Islam in a purer and more genuine manner than Pakistanis. Owaisi asserts that Indian Muslims will not fall for Pakistani propaganda. He says, “Our forefathers rejected Pakistan back in 1947 itself.”

It’s only natural for Pakistan, which uses religion to unleash terror, to be uneasy when a tall Indian Muslim leader is exposing its agenda so ruthlessly. Recently, in Pahalgam, Pakistani terrorists asked for religious identity before killing, with the intent of sparking communal unrest in India. But their conspiracy failed because we Indians understand their game. Another reason for Pakistan’s discomfort is that Owaisi is saying all of this from within Islamic countries and these are the countries that have been the sources of financial aid for Pakistan in one way or another. This is shattering Pakistan’s dream of becoming a leader of the Islamic world. Owaisi presented facts to these nations, pointing out that the terrorist organisation called The Resistance Front (TRF) which carried out the attack had already been flagged by India to the United Nations Security Council back in December 2023, warning that the group could cause trouble in India. Owaisi is right in saying that whatever financial aid Pakistan receives is often used to finance terrorism against India. Even the recent loans given to Pakistan might be diverted to support terrorist organisations. That’s why it is essential that Pakistan is placed back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Naturally, Owaisi’s bold statements have caused anxiety in Pakistan. Their social media is relentlessly attacking him. But then Owaisi is Owaisi. He’s not the leader to be intimidated by such attacks. The entire Indian nation stands with him!

Before I conclude I was recently travelling in Italy and the UAE. During my trip, I interacted with many Pakistanis working there. They all said the same thing: “We live like brothers with Indians here. We have nothing to do with Pakistan’s mischiefs. It’s our misfortune that we’re trapped in their system.” Speaking with them made me reflect: What will it take to free Pakistan from the hands of these troublemakers?

The author is the chairman,  Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.