In a closely-fought election where the Smajwadi Party-Congress alliance is depending heavily on the support of the 19 per cent Muslims to steer them to power in Uttar Pradesh, the very articulate Asaduddin Owaisi has mounted a fierce campaign, fielding candidates in all minority-dominated districts. Amid accusations of being the “BJP’s agent” for ensuring division of Muslim votes, Owaisi told BusinessLine why his community needs to be wary of the “secular” parties, and why he feels the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. Excerpts:
Why have you come to UP? The secular parties accuse you of furthering the BJP’s agenda.
I too am secular. I am not communal. The truth is that the SP does not stand for socialism or Lohia; they are for their family and clan. The BJP is a party of upper castes. Mayawati is representing only Dalits. And the discourse centres around where the 19 per cent Muslims will go. No one talks about their socio-economic condition, their backwardness. In 2012, 69 Muslim candidates became MLAs. Of these, about 50 were from SP. During the Muzaffarnagar riots, not one of them could even visit the affected area. The Dadri lynching happened; there have been at least 400 small-scale communal riots in UP in the last five years of SP rule.
Why were such a large number of Muslim candidates unable to assert and raise the issues that most concerned their community. Everyone else is doing it. But when it comes to Muslims, it becomes a communal issue. Why? Nine per cent Yadavs are dominating 19 per cent Muslims. The SP manifesto is totally meaningless. The community remains disempowered. A strong political voice is needed. Why are we, the Muslims, only ones responsible for keeping the BJP out? Why are we always being told that our mosques are in danger, our daughters are unsafe because the BJP is coming? Why is Akhilesh Yadav distributing pressure cookers instead of ensuring justice for the community?
But would you concede that it is the SP-Congress alliance that looks like in a position to defeat the BJP?
What has Congress done for Muslims? Till date, the victims of Hashimpura massacre have not got justice. The victims of Maliana have not got justice. Who opened the locks of the Babri mosque? The Congress and SP coming together is the alliance of Dadri and Babri.
You seem to be soft on Mayawati…
I am attacking everyone. The SP is in power in the State and the BJP is in the Centre. The BJP wants to shut down all slaughterhouses. This is despite the fact that meat exports have increased since Narendra Modi came to power. Why do you want to attack people’s livelihood when you talk of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’? Why are you threatening to set up a commission for Kairana exodus? Why don’t you institute one to analyse why young men and women from all communities migrate to big cities? What is the political economy at work here? And what is this Romeo Squad the BJP is talking about? Since Akhilesh Yadav came to power, there has been a 200 per cent increase in rape incidents. But instead of saying we will modernise and strengthen the police force, ensure security for women, the BJP talks about setting up a Romeo Squad.
Do you make a distinction between the Congress and the BJP?
The Congress is a smiling assassin and the BJP is an angry assassin. Who made the draconian UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act)? Who introduced POTA? Who arrested all those Muslim youth in false cases while you went silent on Malegaon and other such cases? Why didn’t the Congress appeal against bail given to Aseemanand? All this happened duringin the Congress rule. Then the Antony Committee says the Congress did appeasement of Muslims. What appeasement are they talking about? The Congress and other so called secular parties should understand that we will not fear the BJP and vote for them. Congress and the BJP are the same for us. They should stop patronising the Muslims. You give me no justice and give us iftar parties and Haj subsidies. Stop all this and educate us, give us health, education.
They call me vote katua, you call me ghatia (cheap). But why don’t you give me more representation? Their liberal values are just a foil for soft Hindutva.
The Congress is responsible for bringing Modi to power. But for their 2G, CWG, Modi would not have come to power. It is not my responsibility.