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Journalism of Courage
At a time when the Opposition INDIA alliance is looking to consolidate minority votes in the Hindi heartland with the few partners it is left with, it is also likely to face a challenge from Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. The party which contested just three seats in 2019 is planning to contest over two dozen this time and its performance can impact the INDIA bloc’s chances. Party chief Asaduddin Owaisi spoke to Deeptiman Tiwary:
What are AIMIM’s plans for the Lok Sabha polls?
Hyderabad (Telangana), Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and Kishanganj (Bihar), we will fight for sure. In Bihar, our unit is saying we need more seats. In UP too, there are similar demands. In Maharashtra, there is a call to fight in Mumbai and Marathwada. We will soon decide how many seats we are going to fight.
Why is AIMIM not with the INDIA alliance?
Why AIMIM is not with INDIA is something that only INDIA can answer. They have already formed an elite club. Its membership is reserved for the elite. They have been abusing us since the very beginning.
Some say you are a polarising figure and the Opposition does not want to associate with you fearing the Hindu votes will consolidate behind the BJP.
Did Ashok Chavan run away because of me? Was I behind RJD [Rashtriya Janata Dal] MLAs leaving the party and upper caste MLAs of the SP [Samajwadi Party] going to the other side? Did they lose Amethi, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh because of me? If you are going to blame Muslims for everything, what is the Muslim going to do? Is the Muslim there to be part of your band party or to beat utensils on your slogans? You want Muslim votes but you do not want to talk about them.
Why do you think no one is talking about Muslims?
They (the Opposition) are not fighting the polls based on any ideology. You have compromised on it. You are telling the country that the majoritarian narrative set by [PM Narendra] Modi is what you are also following. You think that Muslims will never desert you because they have no options. They don’t bother about Muslims. Today Muslims have no dignity or respect but no one wants to talk about them. BJP has invisibilised Muslims. Wait and watch how many Muslims get tickets from these parties. They talk about secularism and then enter into an alliance with Uddhav Thackeray. From what angle is Thackeray secular?
What will be the three topmost issues for your party in the polls?
The top-most issue for the party would be that Narendra Modi does not become the PM of this great country again. The second is the mismanagement of the economy by this government and its weak response to aggression by China. The third issue is unemployment.
