Owaisi dares Rahul, Modi for 5-minute debate with him

AICC president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have posed 15-minute challenges to each other. But let the two of them come for a five-minute debate with me on an issue of their choice, dared AIMIM party chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday.

Addressing an election rally in favour of JD(S) candidates here, Owaisi launched a scathing attack against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Modi and accused the duo of having opened shops of secularism and nationalism, but he did not want any certificate from the duo as people were aware as to who was secular and who was nationalist.

During his hour-long speech, he mainly criticised the Congress, questioning its secular credentials.

Calling Siddaramaiah as temporary chief minister, Owaisi said his government had restricted him from entering the state, yet he would make repeated visits. Both national parties were suppressing freedom of speech and were doing injustice to poor, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities. The parties did not want the political empowerment of these groups, the firebrand leader said.

It is important for regional parties to attain power for the political empowerment of minorities and SC/STs, adding that his fight for liberty, fraternity, equality and justice for these groups would continue.

Slamming Congress leaders for accusing him of working towards dividing the minority votes, Owaisi referred to the remarks of its leader Salman Khurshid, who said the party’s hands were stained with the blood of Muslims.

It was JD(S) which had announced that it would establish an university in the name of Tipu Sultan, rather than celebrating his Jayanti. There was a need for enhancing the enrolment ratio of minorities in higher education, Owaisi said.