Congress on Monday challenged All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from any non-muslim seat after the latter dared Rahul Gandhi to fight the electoral battle from Hyderabad and not Wayanad. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit claimed that it is the BJP that decides who will fight from where from AIMIM and asked if Owaisi could even reach the popularity within his community that Gandhi has amassed in the country.
"...You challenge someone else. Surveys show Rahul Gandhi's popularity is at 28%-30%. You can fight from any non-Muslim seat..." Dikshit told news agency ANI.
Dikshit said that AIMIM has no presence except in Hyderabad and alleged that Owaisi had not done anything for the people of Hyderabad. "Whatever has been done in Hyderabad is either by the State government or Centre," the Congress leader added.
Earlier, Owaisi challenged Rahul Gandhi to fight elections against him and said, "I am challenging your leader (Rahul Gandhi) to contest elections from Hyderabad and not Wayanad."
"You keep giving big statements, come to the ground and fight against me. People from Congress will say a lot of things, but I am ready...Babri Masjid and Secretariat's mosque were demolished under the Congress regime," the Lok Sabha MP added.
'Day Not Far When Mob Will Lynch Muslim In Parliament
On the other hand, Owaisi lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Ramesh Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha, saying the day is not far when a mob will “lynch” a Muslim in the Parliament. Speaking at a public event, Owaisi said, “We see that a BJP MP abuses a Muslim MP in the Parliament. People are saying that he should not have said all this in the Parliament, his language was inappropriate. This is the representative of the people for whom you voted.”
“The day is not far when there will be a mob lynching of a Muslim in the Parliament of the country,” said the Hyderabad MP.
Targeting PM Modi, Owaisi asked, “Where is your 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas” adding, that he “will not speak a word."