Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday argued that if offering namaz on roads is unacceptable, the same standard must apply to street celebrations of every religion—remarks he made while condemning the spate of alleged attacks against Muslims across the country.
Addressing a gathering at the AIMIM headquarters here on Friday evening, he alleged attempts to marginalise Muslims and reduce them to “second-class citizens”.
On fuel price hike, namaz on roads
Referring to the current fuel price hike amid the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, he questioned why the benefit was not passed on to consumers, even as Indian companies reportedly made billions of dollars in profits from Russian oil imports.
“Remember Article 25. If offering namaz on roads is wrong, then festivals of every religion on roads are also wrong. If you say meat shops should be closed during someone’s festival, then all liquor shops should be closed for 30 days during Ramzan,” he claimed.
He asked why there are no objections to religious yatras from Uttarakhand to Delhi when roads are allegedly blocked.
“How long does namaz on roads take when it happens?” he said, adding that festivals of every religion take place on roads in the country.
He further alleged that restrictions are imposed on the sale of eggs, meat, and chicken during Hindu festivals.
He claimed that TV channels highlight issues such as Muslims offering namaz on roads, while ignoring issues like “the anguish of parents over the NEET paper leak.”
India belongs to Muslims as well: Owaisi
Asserting that India belongs to Muslims as well, he said they would continue to fight their issues in a democratic manner.
“How can you snatch away my religious freedom?” he asked, adding that there is no adequate debate on the alleged rise in crimes against women.
Speaking about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, he questioned why principles of Hindu marriage are being imposed on Muslims.
Criticising alleged attempts to portray non-vegetarian food consumption by Muslims negatively, he claimed that the Sangh Parivar wants to make “everyone in the country vegetarian.”
He also claimed that Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’ mentions meat consumption, and quoted Swami Vivekananda, saying he had referred to beef consumption in ancient Hindu ceremonies.
