Farmers Movement Archive

Secular parties jittery after AIMIM raised CAA & NRC issues: Owaisi

A day after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, addressing a public meeting in Barabanki, asked the Centre to withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) or else his party will take to streets and turn UP into Shaheenbagh, the firebrand leader talks to TOI’s Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui about AIMIM’s plans for UP polls. Q: After keeping mum on the issue for almost two years, AIMIM is again raking the CAA bogie and threatening to turn UP into Shaheenbagh. Why? A: We opposed CAA tooth and nail in the Parliament and outside as it is based on religion and against the right to equality. In fact, I had torn a copy of the Act in the Parliament. Our views have not changed. We will do everything within the democratic framework to air our disapproval in the most emphatic manner. Q: No one was talking about CAA or NRC, what prompted you to take it up ahead of UP polls? A: Instead of UP polls, our party’s statements on CAA and NRC should be seen in light of PM Narendra Modi’s recent announcement that the three farm laws will be repealed. All we have asked for is a similar approach to CAA and NRC that have been opposed equally vociferously across the country. Why should our demand be linked to UP polls? Q: Allegations are that AIMIM is trying to polarise the environment with CAA and NRC issues which in turn will only help BJP? A: Such allegations suit the narrative of those trying hard to label AIMIM as the B team of BJP. We have demolished the B team hypothesis to bits time and again. Now they have come up with this new chapter. The problem with the so-called secular parties seeking support of Muslims is that they are not raising CAA and NRC issues and never staged a dharna or courted arrest like they did for farm laws. Now, they are getting jittery when AIMIM is raising them. Q: You have said that your party is preparing to contest 100 seats in UP assembly polls. Why just 100? A: AIMIM’s UP unit president Shauquat Ali said we should contest 100 Muslim-dominated seats in 2022. This was the view of our state unit since we started preparations for elections and remains unchanged. Our party’s central leadership also approved this. Q: Earlier, AIMIM was part of Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha (BSM) floated by Om Prakash Rajbhar, who has now struck an alliance with Samajwadi Party. What is the status of BSM now? A: Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha was floated by Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar. Now, after his alliance with Samajwadi Party, it is he who can answer your question better. As far as AIMIM is concerned, we were a part of the Morcha when we announced our plan to contest 100 seats. Our preparations are underway to contest 100 seats as planned. Q: After the initial spate of rallies in UP starting in August, AIMIM seems to be going slow with its election campaign? A: Not at all. We have held an average of four rallies every month since August. In all, we held at least 20 public meetings and rallies till now. In fact, we have three more rallies lined up in November last week. Rallies and visits of AIMIM leaders will increase in the days to come.

The Times of India

2021-11-23

Lucknow