Muslims have become like a ‘band baja party’ in marriage procession: Owaisi attacks BSP, SP, Congress

New Delhi, Sep 27: Slamming the political parties for using Muslims as just a vote bank, Asaduddin Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said that their community has no leader in Uttar Pradesh despite having 19 per cent of the Muslim population.

Speaking at an event in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, he said, "The condition of Muslims has become like a 'band baja party' in a marriage procession where they (Muslims) are first asked to play music, but are made to stand outside on reaching the wedding venue. Now Muslims will not play the instrument. Even every caste has a leader, but Muslims have no leader. There is 19% Muslim population in UP but there is not a single leader."

He called those who died in the anti-CAA protests are "martyrs". "May all those who killed those people perish", he said. The AIMIM chief added, "I dedicate this address to Kanpur's Mohd Raees, Mohd Saif and Aftab Alam who got martyed during police firing in December 2020,"

Owaisi has started preparing for the next year's assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He has been attacking the SP, BSP and Congress accusing them of just using Muslims for votes and doing nothing in return. His entry has sent jitters to the parties as at least 82 seats have a significant Muslim population.

"Even the so-called secular parties, which were getting the votes of the Muslims, never allowed a Muslim leadership to emerge. The report of the Sachar Committee has made out the condition in which the parties have pushed them to," he said. Hence, he wants strong leaders within the community to speak for their cause.

However, the SP and BSP have slammed the AIMIM chief of serving the BJP's interest by dividing their community votes.