Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul- Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday, March 1 said that Urdu is a language of India and not specific to only Muslims.
Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad on the occasion of the party’s 67th foundation day, Owaisi asserted that Urdu is recognised by the Indian Constitution.
“Urdu has been embedded in India’s freedom struggle,” the Hyderabad MP said while quoting a few couplets by freedom fighters including Ram Prasad Bismil and Bhagat Singh.
Owaisi takes a dig at UP CM
Asaduddin Owaisi took a dig at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent statement on education. Adityanath, while addressing the Assembly said that he wants children to embrace modern education and not become ‘mullas.’
“The double-engine government is ensuring modern education for all children without any discrimination. ‘Kathmullapan ki sanskriti nahi chalegi’ (the culture of religious extremism will not be tolerated),” Adityanath said.
Strongly responding to the UP chief minister’s statement, Asaduddin Owaisi said, “We know who your ancestors are and what language you speak. Have you or any of your ancestors become doctors?”
“In case the UP chief minister doesn’t know, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had recently said that all speeches made in the Lower House would be translated to Urdu,” the Hyderabad MP said, adding, “Will he (Yogi Adityanath) fight with the Speaker over this?”
Opposition for Places of Worship Act, Waqf Board Amendment Bill
The AIMIM chief strongly disapproved recent decisions by the Union government, including the Waqf Board Amendment Bill and the blatant misuse of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
He alleged that the Modi-Shah government is bringing laws with an intent to seize and disrupt mosques and waqf properties in India. The Hyderabad MP criticised the government for empowering a district collector to survey Waqf properties at disputed places, terming it unconstitutional.
Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the necessity of the Centre’s decision to have non-Muslim members and proposed changes by the Joint Parliamentary Committee in the newly proposed Waqf Board committee. “No endowment board belonging to Hindus, Christians and Sikhs has members of other religions. Then why is there a need for non-Muslim members on the Waqf board?” he questioned.
Stating that Muslims have the constitutional right to decide where they want to donate their properties to the Waqf board, Owaisi said, “Why should details regarding someone’s property be uploaded on a portal? Will the Prime Minister show us his degree?”
UCC is unconstitutional, remarks Asaduddin Owaisi
Asaduddin Owaisi also commented on the Uttarakhand BJP-led government’s decision to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), stating that it violates articles 14, 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. “Why should any government get to decide to whom a person should give his property?” he asked.
On January 27, Uttarakhand became the first state in independent India to put UCC into effect as a law. According to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the new law will bring about uniformity in society and ensure equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens.
UCC in simple terms can be described as ‘one nation, one law’. It is a legal framework that proposes to replace personal laws of different religions regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance or succession and adoption.
It is important to note that, unlike civic and criminal laws which are the same for all citizens, UCC focuses on personal laws as they are governed by various religions.
On Delhi elections debacle
Asaduddin Owaisi also spoke on the party’s loss in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections. “The people did not vote for AIMIM fearing the BJP would come to power,” he claimed.
He stressed that the BJP won because of a strong voter base. “If the people had voted properly, the BJP wouldn’t have won,” he added.
“It’s the responsibility of the secular parties to defeat the BJP and not just the AIMIM,” Owaisi added.
AIMIM had contested two constituencies – Mustafabad and Okhla. Even after having a predominantly Muslim population, the party lost to AAP and BJP.
From Okhla, AIMIM contested Shifa Ur Rehman Khan who secured 39,558 votes, placing third behind AAP’s Amanatullah Khan (winner) and BJP’s Manish Chaudhary.
Similarly, from Mustafabad, Tahir Hussain represented AIMIM but finished third, losing to BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht.
