Asaduddin Owaisi alleges political marginalisation of Muslims by BJP, Congress

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on 23 December said that both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deliberately avoided talking about Muslim empowerment and their representation in the election campaign for the Gujarat Assembly election.

"Both national parties, in no way, tried to give a message that they are interested in getting Muslim votes (in Gujarat). They deliberately avoided talking about Muslim empowerment and Muslim representation, and the proof is that BJP did not give a single ticket to a Muslim. Congress gave six tickets and only three are now elected," Owaisi said at a press conference here.

"They might win elections like this but our democracy will lose," he



added.

Owaisi also said that the numerous temple visits taken by the leaders of both parties were also part of their deliberate political marginalisation of Muslims.

"The temple-hopping which we have seen in the Gujarat election campaign was nothing but deliberate political marginalisation of Muslims of Gujarat which is not good for our democracy and polity in the long term," Owaisi said.

This, Owaisi said, was against the ideals of a participative form of democracy.

"Our forefathers wanted a participative form of democracy wherein each and every section of the society would be represented whether it's assembly or parliament or any election. That is not happening," he said.