Owaisi tells expats to strive for equal rights in India

RIYADH: All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President and MP Asaduddin Owaisi has called on the community to fight for equal rights and political empowerment in India. Addressing an event organized by the Bazm-e-Ittehad at The Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, Owaisi asked: “Why should Muslims alone carry the burden of secularism on their shoulders in India? Why is it that members of the majority community have decided to refuse to take upon themselves the cause of protecting secularism and strengthening communal harmony? “With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coming to power after the national elections in May, we see the rapid spread of communalism all over the country,” he said. “The so-called secular parties never tried to protect secularism by providing equal justice to the minority community and have just treated them as a vote bank.” Hitting back strongly at the political parties that have accused his party for splitting the secular vote, Owaisi said: “Out of a total of six million Muslims who cast their vote in the recent elections in Maharashtra, the AIMIM received only half-a-million votes. How can Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar blame us for having split the secular vote in favor of the BJP.” He said the anti-Muslim policies of the Congress-NCP combine led to their “humiliating” defeat. He indicated his party’s intention to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Describing the expatriate community as the brand ambassadors of the growing Indo-Saudi ties, Owaisi called upon them to continue their good work to bolster bilateral relations and thanked the Saudi authorities for their humanitarian support. Nadeem Tarin, well known Indian educationist, said: “Unless and until we join the political process, empowerment will remain a distant dream. Therefore, supporting leaders working to redress the grievances of the community is vital.” Madinah-based Bazm-e-Ittehad President Ahmeduddin Owaisi was honored with the prestigious “Salar-e-Millat Award” for carrying forward the legacy of India’s dynamic Muslim leader, the late Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, who was popularly known as Salar-e-Millat. Ahmeduddin Owaisi thanked the party’s supporters and loyalists in the Kingdom and abroad for standing firm behind the AIMIM leadership. Bazm-e-Ittehad Vice President Mohammad Rafique and General Secretary Shahbaz Farooqui joined Owaisi on the stage for presentations along with patron and prominent Indian expat Architect M.A.R. Saleem. Saleem moderated the event and educated the invitees about AIMIM’s achievements through an interesting and detailed PowerPoint presentation. Arab News