In 8 years, BJP legitimised violence: Owaisi

This hatred is the product of Hindutva. These criminals are backed by the Hindutva government: Owaisi

The Narendra Modi government at the Centre has been pursuing Hindutva politics for the last eight years, says AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.

The Hyderabad MP believes that from mob lynching to the legislation to ban triple talaq and from attempts to change religious character of mosques to use of bulldozers to raze the houses of Muslims in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh all show that the BJP and RSS have been working to implement their agenda.

"BJP has been doing politics of hate for the last eight years. They are encouraging violence to meet their ideological ends. They have legitimised violence in eight years," said Owaisi

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader feels that Hindutva as opposed to Hinduism is exclusive. He sees Hindutva as a danger to India's Constitution and composite culture as it does not believe in equality and talks about one nation and one religion.

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He is of the view that the idea of Hindu Rashtra is based on Hindu supremacy. It means subjugation of anyone who isn't Hindu. "Hindutva is a threat to the Constitution and Constitutional morality," he observed.

Owaisi alleged that ever since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, there have been efforts to demolish secularism and turn the country into a Hindu Rashtra.

Owaisi feels that if secularism dies the whole idea of India will get weakened. "Only thing which unites and keeps India strong is the pluralism and diversity of this great nation. The ethos of this country are secularism, diversity and pluralism and that is the thing which strengthens our country and that has to be strengthened come what may."

The prominent Muslim leader is determined to fight to safeguard India's ethos. "Our fight is for a strong inclusive India where rights of all Indians are secured and constitutional values paramount. It is a fight for justice - for liberty, equality and fraternity. We can't be silent spectators as India is weakened and destroyed by this Hindutva ideological project," he added.

Owaisi referred to the mob lynchings since the BJP came to power in 2014. "They killed Mohammed Akhlaq, Pehlu Khan, Rakbar, Hafiz Junaid and others," he said.

Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by a mob on suspicion of cow slaughter at a village near Dadri in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddha Nagar in 2015. Others were lynched in separate incidents in 2017 and 2018.

The MP pointed out that the government headed by Modi never condemned violence and on the contrary encouraged such elements.

Owaisi had earlier stated that the lynching of Muslims is the result of Nathuram Godse's ideology of Hindutva. "Cowardice, violence and murder have an unbreakable relationship with Godse's Hindutva thinking," he tweeted.

The Lok Sabha member remarked that the criminals behind lynchings would not know the difference between a cow and a buffalo but the names of Akhlaq, Pehlu, Rakbar and Jnaid were enough to kill.

"This hatred is the product of Hindutva. These criminals are backed by the Hindutva government."

The MP also referred to the government going soft on Yati Narsinghanand, genocidal Sansad gang, Nupur Sharma, Naveen Jindal and others. "Weak action has only been taken when there was outrage for weeks or international condemnation or when courts pulled up the police. In contrast, Muslim students, journalists, activists have been put in prison for the crime of merely being Muslim," he said.

The Muslim leader pointed out that Hindutva organisations have a culture where hate speech and extremism is rewarded with promotions. He cited the example of Yogi Adityanath who was first rewarded with a Lok Sabha seat and later with the post of chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

"Modi's hate speeches were similarly rewarded," he said and recalled that Narendra Modi got prominence after 2002 Gujarat riots when he was the chief minister of that state.

"In fact the people who attempted to shoot me, admitted that they did so, so that they could become prominent Hindutva politicians," said the MP referring to the attack on him by two men.

He had escaped unhurt when two men opened fire at his car when he was returning to Delhi after campaigning in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in February.

He also predicted that suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma will become BJP's poster girl. "I will not be surprised if she is declared as the saffron party's chief ministerial candidate in Delhi Assembly polls in a few months," he said.