Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi today hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan over his tweet in which he called out the “Indian Police’s pogrom against Muslims” and ended up tagging a video of police brutality from Bangladesh.
“Mr Khan, you worry about your own country. We would like to tell you, don’t ever remember us. We have rejected the message, the wrong theory of Jinnah. We are proud Indian Muslims and till the day of judgment, Inshallah, we will remain as proud Indian Muslims,” Owaisi said at a protest against the Citizenship Act in Sangareddy near Hyderabad.
“No power on earth can take away my Indianness. No power on earth can take away my religious identity. Why? Because, the Constitution of India guarantees me that,” he added.
No power on earth can take away my Indian-ness and my religious identity because #MeraSamvidhan guarantees me the right to freedom of religion.
Imran Khan, please protect the Sikhs and take action against the mob that pelted stones at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. – @asadowaisi pic.twitter.com/0zWyV0r5NU
— AIMIM (@aimim_national) January 4, 2020
Referring to the mob attack on the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, Owaisi said that Imran Khan should safeguard the Sikh population.
In his reaction to the Nankana Sahib violence, Pakistan PM tweeted, “The major difference between the condemnable Nankana incident and the ongoing attacks across India on Muslims and other minorities is this: the former is against my vision and will find zero tolerance and protection from the govt incl police and judiciary.”
In contrast, Modi’s RSS vision supports minorities oppression & the targeted attacks against Muslims are part of this agenda. RSS goons conducting public lynchings, Muslims being violated by mobs are all not only supported by Modi Govt but Indian police leads anti-Muslim attacks
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 5, 2020
Speaking about the protests against Citizenship Act in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said he condemned violence wherever it happened but would like to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act, 1984 applied to UP or not.
Owaisi also reacted to reports that the BJP has proposed to recover money for damage caused during protests in UP.
He claimed that property worth Rs 2,000 crore was destroyed in the Jat agitation in Haryana in 2015 and asked if the damages were ever recovered. “Destruction of Rs 2,000 crore. Modiji, you have taken money from how many? Have you taken money from those people? One paisa was not taken. Why? You did not take because they were not Muslims. Is this not a violation of Article 14 of our Constitution,” Owaisi said.
“How much money was recovered for the losses during the Patel agitation in Gujarat, he asked. More than 600 police vehicles were burnt and over 1,800 government buildings were damaged. Why are you doing this injustice. You will not take from Gujaratis, but recover money from Muslims,” he said.