Owaisi calls out Mamata Banerjee, accuses her of ‘using Muslims for votes’

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday launched a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of strengthening the BJP and exploiting Muslim voters.

In an interview with NDTV, Owaisi alleged that Banerjee had played a role in the growth of the Bharatiya Janata Party and accused her of following a “use and throw” approach towards Muslims.

“You treat Muslims like cattle… milking them for votes and then casting them aside,” he said, questioning what her government had done for the community.

Owaisi also referred to Banerjee’s past political alliances, claiming her party had facilitated the BJP’s early electoral success in the late 1990s. He further criticised her for rejoining the central government during a period when the country was facing criticism over communal violence.

Responding to allegations that his party splits Muslim votes, Owaisi defended his decision to contest elections independently in West Bengal. He said his party would field candidates in nine seats, including Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, and Asansol.

Owaisi also confirmed that his association with Humayun Kabir had ended following a controversy over a purported sting video, which Kabir has dismissed as AI-generated.

The AIMIM had earlier contested six seats in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, securing less than five per cent vote share.