The AIMIM chief linked the controversy to wider concerns over minority rights and parliamentary disruptions, accusing the ruling party of benefiting when the House does not function.
Asaduddin Owaisi (Photo: IANS)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday escalated his criticism of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a now-deleted video that allegedly showed violence against Muslims, calling it “genocidal” and questioning why it was removed if there was nothing to conceal.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Owaisi also objected to remarks he attributed to the Chief Minister about paying an auto driver less if he is a “Miyan”, asking whether such language befits someone holding constitutional office.
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The fresh remarks come amid an intensifying political row over the video, with Owaisi having earlier approached the Hyderabad City Police seeking criminal action against Sarma. The controversy has unfolded alongside wider tensions in Parliament, where debates over unpublished writings of former Army chief General (Retd) MM Naravane have also triggered sharp exchanges.
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Speaking to ANI, Owaisi said, “That video is genocidal… If I had made that video, imagine what would have happened in the nation… No one is questioning him.” He further asked why the video was deleted if the Assam Chief Minister had nothing to hide.
Referring to a remark he attributed to Sarma about paying an auto driver “Rs 2 less” if he is a “Miyan”, Owaisi said such language did not suit a Chief Minister. “Does this kind of language suit the Chief Minister of a state?” he asked.
Earlier this week, the Hyderabad MP lodged an official complaint with Hyderabad City Police, alleging that the now-deleted video amounted to “genocidal hate speech” and seeking criminal proceedings.
Owaisi also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the national song Vande Mataram, arguing that it should not be used as a measure of patriotism.
“This should not be made a test of loyalty,” he said, alleging that the direction in which the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were taking the country could turn India into a theocratic state.
Commenting on repeated disruptions in Parliament, Owaisi said the ruling party stood to gain if the House did not function smoothly.
“The ruling party benefits only if Parliament does not function,” he said, adding that the document cited by the Leader of the Opposition was a public record. He also noted that the government had not denied what former Army chief General (Retd) MM Naravane had written.
A political controversy erupted last week after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from a “pre-print” version of Naravane’s memoir during his speech in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Treasury benches objected strongly, and the Speaker ruled that unpublished literature should not be cited in the House.
The first phase of the Budget Session concluded on February 13.
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