Strongly opposing the Centre's proposed legislation banning triple talaq, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday exhorted Indian Muslims to learn from Hindu communities such as the Rajputs who came together to protest against the release of the contentious movie Padmavati.
Owaisi was addressing a public meeting at Darussalam, the AIMIM's headquarters in Hyderabad, on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi.
Owaisi demanded unity among Indian Muslims to protect the 'shariah.' He argued that the Supreme Court verdict on the issue was confusing and nobody could say if uttering talaq thrice in one sitting annuls marriage or it was considered only one talaq. In such a situation, how could the government bring a bill to Parliament, he wondered.
The Member of Parliament asked the Narendra Modi government if it would provide financial aid to women if their husbands were sent to jail for three years. He warned that the legislation could lead to a new problem of husbands abandoning their wives.
He criticised Modi for speaking about the rights of Muslim women but ignoring the 'Hindu sisters.' Claiming that "20 lakh Hindu women are abandoned by their husbands," Owaisi asked Modi if he would come to their rescue as well.
He said the Sangh Parivar was showing sympathy for Muslim women but was not allowing a film to be released.
"When you can't allow a film (Padmavati) to be released, how can you interfere in my shariah?" Owaisi asked.
The AIMIM president said Muslims should learn a lesson from the Rajput community, which despite being less in number, came together to protest against the release of the film.
"If Muslims can unite to strengthen the country and save shariah, we can definitely do something," he added.
The MP said the community should also learn lessons from Patels, Gujjars, Jats and Marathas, which came together to fight for their rights and for reservation.
On Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement that the Taj Mahal was not part of Indian culture and the BJP describing the monument as symbol of slavery, Owaisi asked why Modi hosted a dinner at the Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad for Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, and others.
"You have to see the symbols of our forefathers," he remarked, while also referring to another dinner hosted at Golconda Fort for delegates of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) earlier this week.
Referring to the Gujarat elections, the AIMIM chief said the leaders of both BJP and Congress were vying with each other in visiting temples and every leader was claiming to be a 'bigger Hindu than the other.'
He alleged that both parties were competing with each other in offering reservation for various communities but were united in opposing a quota for Muslims. He described both the parties as 'hypocrites.'
On former US president Barack Obama stressing the need to nurture and cherish Indian Muslims, Owaisi said it was news for the media only because a former US president had stated it.
"Our party has been saying the same for over 60 years. We have been saying that we love this country, we have faith in its Constitution and the country can strengthen if Muslims get their constitutional rights," he said.
Targeting the Congress, he said it blamed the AIMIM for dividing votes in various states to hide its failure to defeat Modi. He recalled that his party had contested only 28 seats out of 400 in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
"In the civic polls in UP, we won 32 seats but the Congress got only 19 seats and could not win a single seat in Amethi," he added.
