Religious politics erupted in India soon after Indian-origin Rishi Sunak was appointed the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with opposition parties lauding the decision while taking potshots at the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) over their supposed non-secular ideologies.
With opposition parties welcoming the decision to make a minority the UK PM, they said that a similar decision cannot be taken in India, due to BJP. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also made a similar comment, with BJP hitting back at him.
While he was addressing a rally in Bijapur, Karnataka on Tuesday, Owaisi had also said the BJP wants to eradicate secularism and is against the equal opportunity for all in the country. He also talked about the hijab ban in the state and the split verdict of the Karnataka court.
The AIMIM chief cited the judgment of the court on the hijab ban, where it was said that it is necessary for Muslim girls to study and, if they want to wear hijab and go for studies then it is not a problem, as per ANI reports.
"The BJP think they face danger from halal meat, Muslims' caps, and their beards. They have problems with our food habits. The party is against Muslim identity," the AIMIM chief said.
"The PM's words 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas' are empty rhetoric. The BJP's real agenda is to end India's diversity and Muslim identity," he added.
Owaisi also talked about how he wanted to see a hijab wearing girl as the Prime Minister of India in the near future. Slamming this statement by the AIMIM leader, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla took a jibe at Owaisi.
BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla said: "Owaisi Ji hopes that a hijab-wearing girl becomes PM of India! Well, Constitution bars nobody but do tell us when will the Hijab-wearing girl get to become the President of AIMIM. Let us start with that?"
(With ANI inputs)
READ | Arvind Kejriwal appeals to PM Modi to introduce Lord Ganesha, Laxmi on currency notes