Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said that if offering namaz on roads is considered wrong, then the same standard should apply to street celebrations of all religions. He made the remarks while condemning what he described as a series of attacks and discrimination against Muslims across the country.
Addressing a gathering at the AIMIM headquarters in Hyderabad on Friday evening, Owaisi alleged attempts to marginalise Muslims and reduce them to “second-class citizens”.
Referring to the ongoing fuel price situation amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, he questioned why benefits were not being passed on to consumers even as Indian companies were reportedly earning billions of dollars in profits from Russian oil imports.
“Remember Article 25. If offering namaz on roads is wrong, then festivals of every religion on roads are also wrong. If you say meat shops should be closed during someone’s festival, then all liquor shops should be closed for 30 days during Ramzan,” he said.
He also questioned why there are no objections to large religious yatras from Uttarakhand to Delhi despite road blockages.
“How long does namaz on roads take when it happens?” he asked, adding that festivals of all religions are routinely conducted on public roads in India.
Owaisi further alleged that restrictions are imposed on the sale of eggs, meat and chicken during Hindu festivals, while such concerns are not addressed equally across communities.
He also claimed that television channels highlight issues such as Muslims offering namaz on roads, while ignoring matters like “the anguish of parents over the NEET paper leak”.
Asserting that India belongs equally to Muslims, he said the community would continue to fight its issues through democratic means.
“How can you snatch away my religious freedom?” he asked, adding that there is insufficient debate on the alleged rise in crimes against women.
Speaking on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, Owaisi questioned why principles of Hindu marriage were being imposed on Muslims.
Criticising what he described as attempts to portray non-vegetarian food consumption negatively, he alleged that the Sangh Parivar aims to make “everyone in the country vegetarian”.
He further claimed that Kautilya’s 'Arthashastra' refers to meat consumption and cited Swami Vivekananda, stating that he had mentioned beef consumption in ancient Hindu rituals.
With PTI inputs