'Nobody has monopoly': Owaisi slams INDIA bloc as 'elite club'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slams the INDIA bloc, calling it an 'elite club' and asserting that no party has a monopoly over the SIR issue.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc, labeling the opposition coalition an "elite club". Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Owaisi asserted that no single political entity holds a monopoly over the critical issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
AIMIM to continue fight against SIR
Addressing the ongoing tensions regarding electoral roll revisions, Owaisi emphasized that the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has been a vocal opponent of the SIR exercise from its inception. He declared that the party is committed to continuing its struggle through multiple channels.
"If you want to turn this into an elite club, then congratulations to you. We will continue doing our work. We will keep fighting and protesting against it. But understand one thing: nobody has a monopoly over any particular issue," Owaisi stated firmly.
The AIMIM leader highlighted that his party is fighting the battle on three fronts: legally, politically, and publicly. He noted that the party has already approached the Supreme Court to challenge the current processes, with lawyer Nizam Pasha continuing to represent the party in this legal battle.
Claims of ground-level activism
Owaisi challenged the credibility of other parties by pointing to AIMIM's specific actions in Bihar. He claimed that AIMIM was the only political organization to submit a list of 1,000 names to the Supreme Court consisting of individuals who had been erroneously included in the ASD (Absent, Shifted, Dead) list.
"Did any other political party submit such a list?" he questioned, suggesting that while other parties might be leading agitations, AIMIM has been doing the heavy lifting on the ground.
Concerns over Election Commission immunity
The AIMIM chief also pivoted to broader legislative concerns, specifically targeting laws that grant legal immunity to Election Commissioners. He questioned the logic behind such provisions, suggesting they could undermine the credibility of the Election Commission of India.
"If a case can be registered against the Prime Minister or the Home Minister, why did the government bring in a law granting legal immunity to the Election Commissioners?" Owaisi asked, recalling his previous interventions in Parliament alongside former MP Imtiaz Jaleel.
Owaisi concluded by addressing critics who claim AIMIM's protests are causing political losses to the opposition. He dismissed these claims, noting that while others talk, AIMIM members are "sweating it out" on the streets working for the cause.