BJP, Cong Busy Visiting Temples, But Not any Masjid: Owaisi

“They might win elections like this, but it will weaken our democracy,” Owaisi said.

Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM President.

(Photo: PTI)

Chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi targeted both BJP and Congress over their party members’ frequent visit to temples during the campaign period before Gujarat elections, and accused them of ignoring the minority Muslim community.

Both national parties, in no way, tried to give a message that they are interested in getting Muslim votes (in Gujarat). They might win elections like this, but it will weaken our democracy. Deliberate political marginalisation of Muslims is not right.

Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM

Owaisi questioned why neither Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit any Masjid or Dargah.

CNN News18 quoted Owaisi as saying,

They have ensured that they get enough eyeballs in temples. Couldn’t they have clicked a single photo with Muslims? When I talked to a senior Congress leader in Delhi, he told me that this was necessary for Gujarat.

Earlier on 22 December, he had criticised the parties and said, “It didn’t look like the Congress or the BJP were campaigning for Gujarat elections, it looked like they were on a religious yatra. It is quite peculiar that when we wear our skull caps, and keep our beards, they point and say, “Look they’re going for hajj!”

Congress president Rahul Gandhi started his three-day-long Gujarat tour on Saturday, 23 December, with a visit to Somnath temple. He is back in the state to review the party’s performance in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

During his three-day visit to the state, Gandhi will hold meetings with all the newly-elected MLAs, leaders, and party workers across the state to review the election result.

Gandhi’s earlier visit to Somnath temple have turned into a controversy after some reports claimed that his name was entered in the register of non-Hindu visits.

The Congress then retaliated saying that it wasn't Rahul Gandhi who signed the register and said it was fake. Congress, however, issued a clarification on its official twitter handle blaming BJP of resorting to ‘desperate measures at desperate times.’

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