'Where Is the Conscience of the Government?': Owaisi Slams Centre in Lok Sabha

From Manipur violence to Nuh demolitions, here are the highlights of Asaduddin Owaisi's speech in Lok Sabha.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi speaks during the discussion on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament in New Delhi on Thursday, 10 August.

(Photo: PTI)

Addressing the Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led government, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday, 10 August, listed 11 points of criticism against the current regime.

He questioned the government on several incidents like an RPF constable shooting people dead on a train, the demolition of Muslim houses after the Haryana violence, the ethnic clashes in Manipur, the Bilkis Bano case, etc.

Mumbai Train Shooting Incident: Owaisi recalled the recent incident in which Railway Protection Force (RPF) Constable Chetan Singh allegedly shot dead his senior and three Muslim passengers on a Mumbai-Jaipur train. “Recently, a uniform-clad man, after killing his senior official, went to train compartments, asked for people’s names, looked at their beards and attire and killed Muslims. After that, he said ‘if you want to live in India, you will have to vote for Modi, Yogi’. I want to ask the government – is this not an example of extreme radicalisation and extremism of the majority community? And if it is, what will the government do?” Owaisi said.

Nuh Demolition Incident: Owaisi alleged that 750 buildings have been demolished in Haryana's Nuh allegedly without due process and because the properties belonged to Muslims.

"That's why the Punjab and Haryana High Courts called it ethnic cleansing," Owaisi said.

Manipur Violence: Questioning the government on the Manipur violence, Owaisi said, "Where does your conscience go when women there are getting raped and you don't want to remove the chief minister because he is 'cooperating'?"

Bilkis Bano Case: Owaisi brought up Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's mention of Draupadi from the Mahabharata and asked, "Is Bilkis Bano the daughter of this nation?"

"Those 12 people who raped her, killed her daughter, mother, you released them. Is this your conscience? You are promoting majoritarian politics,” Owaisi alleged.

Owaisi also raised several other points like China's border issues with India, high inflation, high unemployment, the Uniform Civil Code, and more.

• “Uniform Civil Code formula of ‘one nation, one language, one culture and one language’ is that of a dictator," Owaisi alleged.

• "High inflation in the nation, high unemployment, and stagnating consumption because of which females have high amenia and how the government is responsible for it," he added.

• "Minority welfare budget has been cut by 40 percent," Owaisi claimed, citing examples of the Padho Pardesh, Pre-Matric scholarship, and Maulana Azad fellowship. "Because of this, 1,80,000 Muslims have missed higher education," Owaisi claimed.

• "Our Home Minister was talking about 'Quit India' yesterday. I wonder if, if he gets to know that the word 'Quit India' was coined by a Muslim, Yusuf Meher Ali, he will not use this word. I want to say that the kind of politics you (central government) are doing will harm the country," he said.

• "Is the nation important or Hindutva-Golwalkar ideology?" Owaisi concluded by posing a question to PM Modi.