India
oi-Prakash KL
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday targeted the BJP accusing of creating issues only for the Muslim community.
He specifically noted that the ruling ruling dispensation is not okay only surrounding Islamic festivals, the Azaan, and Namaz as it deliberately manufactures issues to target the Muslim community.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused the BJP of creating issues targeting Muslims, contrasting prayer restrictions with religious yatras, and criticized media and government focus on religious matters over the NEET paper leak exam and rising fuel prices.
Speaking at an Eid Milap event, Owaisi asserted that Muslims will not abandon their prayers, noting that the constant scrutiny from television coverage has ironically encouraged young people to pray more regularly in mosques, ANI reported.
Highlighting what he described as a glaring double standard, Owaisi pointed out that roads are frequently blocked and tents erected during religious yatras from Uttarakhand to Delhi without facing objections. In contrast, he argued that Namaz is only offered on the streets occasionally for Friday prayers or Eid, rather than on a daily basis. He further criticised the restrictions placed on the sale of meat, eggs, and poultry during Hindu festivals.
Invoking Article 25 of the Constitution regarding religious freedom, he suggested that for the sake of consistency, liquor shops ought to be closed for the entire thirty days of Ramadan.
Owaisi’s comments follow recent statements by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who insisted that Namaz must be offered in a regulated manner or in shifts. Adityanath had warned that the administration would first seek compliance through persuasion, but would resort to other methods to ensure public order if necessary. In response to the growing scrutiny, Owaisi reminded his audience of the historical sacrifices made by Islamic scholars, such as Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi and Allama Kaifi, who issued fatwas and fought against British rule from mosques.
Addressing the broader political climate, the AIMIM leader accused the government of harbouring hatred and attempting to marginalise Muslims into second-class citizens. Citing past tragedies at Turkman Gate, Maliyana, Hashimpura, and Nellie, he emphasised the community’s survival and resilience. He firmly rejected political rhetoric surrounding ‘infiltrators’ and declared that there will be no second migration, stating definitively that the country belongs to them as well.
Beyond religious matters, Owaisi heavily criticised the media and the government for distracting the public from pressing national concerns. He expressed outrage over the media’s focus on anti-Muslim narratives at the expense of covering the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which affected over 22 lakh children. The exam, initially held on the 3rd of May across more than 5,400 centres, was cancelled by the NTA on the 12th of May after a paper leak was confirmed, with a re-examination scheduled for the 21st of June. Owaisi condemned a news anchor for labelling a protesting student a ‘Pakistani’ merely for questioning swapped CBSE answer sheets, asking whether anyone who challenges the government is immediately branded an enemy of the state.
Turning his attention to the economy, Owaisi targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the recent surge in fuel prices, noting that petrol and diesel costs were revised upward on Monday for the fourth time in less than a fortnight. He questioned why the government blames geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, whilst failing to pass on the benefits of discounted Russian oil, which has generated billions of dollars in profit for Indian companies since 2022.
Owaisi concluded his address with a warning to the current ruling party about the impermanence of power. Using the desolate palaces of the Nizams, such as King Koti’s Parda Gate, as a metaphor, he cautioned the BJP government against oppression, reminding those in power that even the grandest empires eventually fade.
