In his address during the Motion of Thanks on President Droupadi Murmu's speech to the joint sitting of Parliament, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi strongly criticized the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Owaisi attributed the party's electoral victories primarily to its Hindutva agenda and what he described as anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Owaisi emphasized that the BJP's success should be seen as a triumph of majoritarianism rather than a victory for all citizens. He urged opposition parties to reflect on why there is significant representation for OBCs and upper castes while Muslims remain underrepresented in Parliament. He highlighted the disparity, noting that despite Muslims forming a substantial part of the population, only a small percentage of Muslim candidates win parliamentary seats.
"I would like to tell the opposition parties that it is not your victory, but a victory of majoritarianism. Everyone should contemplate and do introspection. Why is it that the OBCs and the upper castes are getting more representation while Muslims are getting ignored? Are we only here to vote for you and not to get elected," Owaisi asked.
Owaisi lamented that such underrepresentation goes against the inclusive vision of India's founding fathers, who envisioned a Constitution that catered to the aspirations of all communities. He recalled the constitutional debates where leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, S.C. Mukherjee, and Sadar Hukam Singh opposed ideas such as separate voter lists and electoral reservations based on religion.
Owaisi said, "When the Constitution of India was being formed, and ideas of a separate voter list and Intikhabi reservations were mooted, our founding fathers, both Hindus and Muslims, deliberated on this issue and decided that they would not agree with it. They said the majority community must see to it that the minorities are elected in representative numbers."
The AIMIM MP expressed concern for marginalized groups and criticized the BJP's policies, particularly regarding issues like mob lynching, marginalization of Muslims, and what he perceived as discriminatory laws. He questioned the future of India under the current government, asserting that it relegates Muslims to mere voters rather than ensuring their adequate representation in elected offices.
Owaisi also criticized the government's handling of unemployment, citing instances of exam paper leaks that he claimed had ruined the lives of job seekers. He accused the government of promoting dangerous overseas employment conditions for Indian youth and criticized India's supply of weapons to Israel, questioning its impact on India's global reputation, especially given the significant Indian workforce in Gulf countries.
He pointedly criticized India's supply of weapons to Israel, juxtaposing it with the substantial Indian workforce in the Gulf and the Palestinian casualties attributed to Israeli actions. Owaisi's address underscored his concerns about the direction of Indian policies and their implications for minority rights and international diplomacy.
"Twenty-seven tonnes of weapons are being supplied to Israelis when over nine million Indians are working in the Gulf countries. What impression would it make? Around 47,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel," Owaisi said, as he questioned India's policy of supplying weapons to Israel.
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