All parties want Muslim votes but can’t find candidates from community: Owaisi

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: All parties in Maharashtra want Muslim votes in the Lok Sabha polls but have not fielded candidates from the community, All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said here on Monday.

Addressing a rally in Amkhas Maidan, Owaisi also said parties have come together to ensure the defeat of his Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel.

“Political parties are seeking votes of Muslims but could not find candidates from the community for any of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. They are not bothered about results elsewhere but two Shiv Sena, two NCPs and half Congress are here to defeat Jaleel,” he claimed.

Criticizing Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrakant Khaire, the AIMIM chief said the former used to call himself a Hindutva leader but arrived at the Idgah here after realising the importance of (Muslim) voters.

“Those whose politics was earlier based on ‘khan ya baan’ (Muslims and Hindus) are now talking about namaz’,” he asserted.

Dubbing Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as “newly secular”, Owaisi said the former chief minister must clear his stand about Babri Masjid demolition and say whether it was a sin or not.