SP, Congress are hypocrites with double standards: Owaisi

Lucknow: AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) President Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out on Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Congress, saying that both the latter need Muslim votes but are hesitant to give them party tickets. He slammed the parties that it shows their hypocrisy and double standards. NDTV reported.

Spurning allegations that he wants to help BJP in Uttar Pradesh by splitting minority votes, he said that "so-called secular people need Muslims only to pass the bridge. If Muslims need a party ticket, they have to beg. He was referring to Samajwadi Party's approach towards Muslim leader Imran Masood and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra distancing from TR Khan, NDTV says.

Further, he said, they supported Amit Shah's UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) in 2014, making it handy for the National Investigation Agency to brand any Muslim a terrorist. Owaisi wondered what the two parties said on Triple Talaq law or how they acted on Citizenship Act.

He said that it wasn't him who brought Modi back to power in 2019. Even after getting 75 per cent Muslim voters, only three Muslims, Akhilesh and his father won then. But Akhilesh doesn't have the guts to say they didn't get votes of Yadavs, backward classes and the Hindus, Owaisi said.

Owaisi said his faction has formed an alliance with Babu Singh Kushwaha, Waman Meshram, and others and decided to fight for the weak. If the coalition wins, Kushwaha will be CM for 2.5 years, and someone from the Dalit community will hold the chair the rest. There will be three Deputy CMs, a Muslim and members of backward classes, he said. His alliance has confidence in UP people, he added.

Owaisi wants the 19 per cent Muslim population in the state to get fair representation. Adityanath is the leader of Thakurs, Akhilesh Yadavs, Anupriya Patel leads Kurumis, but his alliance leads those who lack representation.