AIMIM Plans to Strengthen Party Ahead of UP Polls: Owaisi

“In preparation for the upcoming Assembly elections, we have already visited various constituencies in Uttar Pradesh and will continue to do so. Today, we are in Kanpur. In six days, we will be in Shravasti, followed by Azamgarh,” he said, speaking to media persons.

“After that, we will hold public meetings in three or four other constituencies in Western Uttar Pradesh. The sole purpose is to strengthen our party organisation for the upcoming elections. By staying among the people, we can understand their suffering on the ground and highlight the difficulties this government has created for them,” he said.

On the demolition drive to remove encroachment on cemetery land in Kanpur, he says, “This happened just yesterday, at 5 am. It is a matter of great misfortune and regret. Nothing is being done according to the law. On what basis was it demolished? Why are you doing this? You are not sparing the living, nor those who are no longer in this world.”

“This kind of work is being carried out in a very wrong and unacceptable manner. No due process is being followed. The principles of natural justice are not being followed. You have demolished many mosques. Now, you have demolished a graveyard in Kanpur. This is condemnable and clearly shows, in our view, that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is practising the politics of hatred,’ Owaisi said.

The BJP does not give tickets to Muslims, and other parties are also giving very few tickets these days. The plight of Muslims has become such that they are being reduced to mere voters: go out on election day, cast your vote, and then go home and sit quietly.

“We are saying: make them citizens with rights… Even when you were in power, did the Muzaffarnagar incident not happen? You did nothing when you were in power. Now that you are not in power, you do not even open your mouth. This is the stark reality of today’s Indian politics, in our view: the Muslim community is being marginalized,” he added.