Ahmedabad: Ahead of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)'s contestation in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, party chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Sunday that there was an alleged attempt to distance minorities from the political discourse in India.
In a conversation with ETV Bharat, Owaisi observed that the contest had been turned towards attracting majority votes, with all major parties adopting the ideology of Hindutva.
"The elections are being fought to gain votes from the majority, and minorities have been banished from politics. Neither are they valued, nor is their existence recognized. It is a difficult time, but it also presents an opportunity for the Muslim community. When all parties are trying to follow the Hindutva path - whether it is BJP, AAP, Congress, RJD, or anyone else - the community should seek to represent, as well as politically empower, themselves," he said.
Reflecting on the currency controversy, which quickly rose to the surface after Delhi CM Kejriwal's recent demand to bring in figures of Hindu deities Lakshmi and Ganesh on currency notes, Owaisi observed that such issues attracted attention, whereas developments such as the issue surrounding the release of Bilkis Bano's rapists remain ignored.
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"They do not speak about the Disturbed Areas Act, and how in areas under the act a Muslim man does not get permission from district authorities to buy a house. They remain silent on largely Muslim areas of Gujarat which have not seen development in a long time. Why don't they go there and talk about uniformity? This is an example of the duality of their character," he stated.
While inquired about Uniform Civil Code implementation in Gujarat and its possible fallouts, the MIM leader countered by bringing to the fore the 'anti-conversion' [Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment), 2021] law already in place in the state, asking how the two could co-exist.
"How will you bring in UCC when there's already anti-conversion law? Further, there are acts like the Hindu Marriage Act and the Shariat Act, both of which are central acts passed in Parliament. How will this state act overrule them? BJP is trying these things right before the elections to amplify its propaganda," he stated.
Owaisi said that AIMIM, which has announced candidates in 30 assembly seats, has been upping its campaigns and will look to turn the existing political scenario in the state to whatever extent possible. The Election Commission, meanwhile, is expected to announce poll dates in Gujarat within the upcoming week.
