Asaduddin Owaisi flays ruling and opposition fronts, says neither 'dukandar' nor 'chowkidar' opens mouth when minorities are oppressed

Lashing out at both the opposition and ruling fronts led by the Congress and the BJP, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said that neither "dukandar" nor "chowkidar" opens their mouths when Muslims are oppressed.

Speaking on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi accused both the fronts of doing politics on the graves of minorities.

"There are two fronts in this country. One is a 'dukandar' and the other is 'chowkidar'. When we are oppressed, neither opens its mouth. The UAPA (amendment) law was brought by (Home Minister) Amit Shah and these dukandars approved of it," he said.

"Now under this law a 83-year-old man died because of the absence of a sipper. For how long will these dukandars and chowkidars play politics over our graves? If you don't speak out against injustice, your dukandari will not work and the chowkidar needs to be replaced," he said.

The Hyderabad MP was apparently referring to the ruling front led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "chowkidar" and the opposition bloc INDIA as "dukandar".

Highlighting the atrocities against the Muslim community, including the recent incident of an RPF constable shooting dead his senior and three Muslim passengers on board a train, Owaisi asked the government if it was an example of radicalisation.

"In recent times in a train, a uniformed terrorist after killing his senior went to different compartments, asked names, saw beards and then killed Muslims after saying that if you want to stay in this country, you have to vote for Modi. I want to know from the government if this is not an excellent example of radicalism and extremism? If it is so what is the government going to do about it," he said.

Owaisi asked what happened to the government's conscience when 750 buildings in Nuh were demolished without due process because they belonged to Muslims. He was referring to the recent demolition drive in the Haryana district following communal violence there.

"That is why the Haryana HC (High Court) said that this is ethnic cleansing. An atmosphere of hate has been created in the country against Muslims. This is their work in the last nine years. Where is your conscience when the women of Manipur are being demeaned and you don't want to remove the CM because he is cooperating," he said.

Lashing out at the chief ministers of Manipur and Haryana, Owaisi quoted a couplet: "This is your chair, not your funeral, if you don't do anything then why don't you step down? Has your conscience been lost in a funeral procession?"

He also alleged that the hijab is being made an excuse to deny education to Muslim children.

Referring to remarks made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who brought up an incident involving former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa whose saree was pulled in the assembly, Owaisi asked if Bilkis Bano was a daughter of this country.

"I want to ask her whether Bilkis Bano was India's daughter or not, Bilkis Bano who was raped while she was pregnant. They raped and killed her mother and murdered her daughter and you have released these murderers. Is this your conscience," he asked.

On the use of the "Quit India" slogan by the BJP in recent times, Owaisi said that if the saffron party got to know that a Muslim had coined the term, they would stop using it.

"Our Home Minister has said Quit India -- if they come to know that this slogan was given by a Muslim, they will stop saying it. Yusuf Meher Ali had coined the slogan which Mahatma Gandhi had spread across the country.

"If you really want to say Quit India then say 'China, Quit India'...the politics of appeasement which you do should 'Quit India'. You are creating danger for this country. I want to appeal to the government that the kind of politics you are practising will only harm the country," he said.

Referring to the Uniform Civil Code, Owaisi said that it is a formula of dictators.

"UCC formula is that of one country, one religion, one culture and one language. This is the formula of dictators. India is a bouquet, a mosaic where there are various languages and cultures," he said.

He also asked why the government which calls itself "vishwaguru" has failed to bring back Khulbushan Yadav or the eight navy personnel stuck in Qatar jail for a year.

He also demanded that the government tell the Supreme Court that it is committed to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991.

Owaisi also spoke of the lynching of Muslim men and said that while the prime minister speaks of loving the backwards among Muslims, these are the men who are lynched.

"Modiji has a special love for backward Muslims. What kind of love you have for them when you do not have even one Muslim minister.

"From Akhlaq to Pehlu Khan...all those lynched are backward Muslims...," he claimed.

He said that he had one pointed question for Prime Minister Modi when he replies on the no-confidence motion: "Is India bigger or is the Hindutva and Golwalkar ideology bigger?"