Calling for terror cases against Muslim youths in Maharashtra to be fast-tracked, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi sought institutional mechanisms like an equal opportunities commission and a cultural diversity index to redress grievances of minorities who feel discriminated against.
Calling for terror cases against Muslim youths in Maharashtra to be fast-tracked, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi sought institutional mechanisms like an equal opportunities commission and a cultural diversity index to redress grievances of minorities who feel discriminated against.
Speaking to dna, Owaisi, Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, who has been campaigning for party candidate Raja Rehbar Khan for the Bandra (East) bypoll, denied that his party had historic links with the Razakars, who supported the Nizam of Hyderabad and resisted the princely state’s integration.
“I was born in Independent India. Our forefathers rejected Jinnah. We have rejected his two-nation theory. I am a proud Indian Muslim…,” said Owaisi, whose party has two MLAs in Maharashtra.
“If you talk of violence, also talk of the Sunderlal commission report, which estimated that around 30,000 Muslims were killed (in the aftermath of the ‘police action’ in 1948 to merge the state in India),” he said.
Owaisi denied allegations that the AIMIM was a hardline outfit like right-wing Hindu groups. “Am I trying to impose my religion on the whole of India? No. Am I trying to make this a theocratic country? No. Am I saying that only an (adherent of) Islam is a nationalist? No. I am opposed to the basic thinking of the RSS,” he said.
“(There needs to be) a time-frame for all people languishing under terror-related charges. Let a day-to-day hearing be done… the process should be expedited,” Owaisi said, adding the trial of the accused in Malegaon bomb blasts, Aurangabad arms haul and German Bakery blasts convict Mirza Himayat Baig be fast-tracked. The issue of Muslim youths picked up on terror charges has been one of AIMIM’s electoral planks.
Owaisi blamed Congress-NCP for neglecting Muslims. “Overall, Muslims also bear the responsibility because we have been blindly voting for political parties which have not been (interested in our) amelioration,” he said, citing that the Mehmood-ur-Rehman committee exposed the parties.
“The beef ban.. also affects Dalits and is an economic issue,” said Owaisi. Owaisi attacked the BJP-Shiv Sena government and the erstwhile Congress- NCP regime for the short-lived decision to grant quotas to Muslims. In November 2014, the high court stayed the Congress-NCP’s move to grant a 16% Maratha quota and 5% reservation in jobs to Muslims, while not staying quotas for Muslims in education. But the BJP government allowed the Muslim quota ordinance to lapse.
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