'15 crore 100 ke upar bhaari hain': AIMIM leader's speech sparks row

An AIMIM leader has created a controversy after a video has surfaced in which he said that 15 crore of us (Muslims) dominate over 100 crore others. 

Addressing a rally in Karnataka's Gulbarga on February 15, former Byculla MLA Waris Pathan said that one must snatch 'Azadi' if not given. 

Referring to women-led protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Pathan said "lionesses have made you sweat" so you can "understand what would happen if all of us come together."

"They tell us that we've kept our women in the front - only the lionesses have come out and you're already sweating. You can understand what would happen if all of us come together. Never forget that we are 15 crore but dominate other 100 crore (15 cr hain magar 100 ke upar bhaari hain, ye yaad rakh lena)," Pathan is heard saying in the video. 

#WATCH AIMIM leader Waris Pathan: ...They tell us that we've kept our women in the front - only the lionesses have come out&you're already sweating. You can understand what would happen if all of us come together. 15 cr hain magar 100 ke upar bhaari hain, ye yaad rakh lena.(15.2) pic.twitter.com/KO8kqHm6Kg

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2020

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi was also in attendance when the provocative speech was delivered. Owaisi was seen covering his face in what was an indication of his disagreement to Pathan.

His controversial remarks come when several people associated with the anti-CAA-NPR-NRC protests have been booked for provocative speeches and are in jail. 

JNU scholar Sharjeel Imam has been booked under sedition charges, Dr Kafeel Khan of Gorakhpur is jailed under the National Security Act and several others have been charged for violence during protests in December last year.