Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday criticised the BJP over its claims of illegal immigrants being included in electoral rolls, saying the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise had caused considerable hardship to poor people, particularly daily wage earners.
Questioning the Centre’s stand, Owaisi said the Central Vista project itself had been inaugurated with a Bhoomi Pooja, but the govt was objecting to a mosque that had existed even before 1912.
Referring to Hyderabad district election officer RV Karnan’s statement that no foreign nationals or illegal migrants were found in the draft electoral rolls after the revision exercise, Owaisi said the finding had exposed the claims repeatedly made by BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders. He said thousands of people had been forced to undergo verification, losing at least two days’ wages to furnish documents and complete enrolment formalities. On the political aspirations of Muslims, Owaisi said the community should no longer allow itself to be intimidated by the RSS and should work towards developing its own political leadership. Referring to Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan, where he became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, Owaisi said the achievement should inspire Muslims in India to strengthen their political identity.
He urged Union Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene and recognise the historical and legal status of the mosque.