Modi has a Jekyll & Hyde personality, says MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi

New Delhi: Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have a "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde personality" vis-a-vis the Muslims.

Replying to questions in Rajat Sharma's show Aap Ki Adalat, to be telecast tonight on India TV, Owaisi said: "On August 15 from Red Fort, the PM called for a 10-year moratorium on communal riots. I say, why 10 years, why not 100 years?  But what sort of a taskmaster is he, when he says one thing, and his MP Yogi Adityanath says the opposite.

"What kind of a taskmaster is he, when his MP Sakshi Maharaj says all Madarsas are centres of terrorism and the PM's government gives Rs 209 crores to madarsas? One of his ministers Menaka Gandhi says, cows and cattle are being slaughtered, and on the other hand his government reduces import duty from 10 pc  to 6 pc on machines for slaughtering animals. You may not agree with me, but this denotes a Jekyll & Hyde personality.

"To say that I am as pure as white, and one should not ask me what my colleagues are saying, I am not responsible for their actions, how can this be?", asked Owaisi.

The MIM chief questioned why PM Modi mentioned "1200 years of foreign rule" during the debate on the President's address to Parliament.

"Does it behove the Prime Minister of India to make such a remark in Parliament that India is free from 1200 years of foreign rule. What do you mean by that? We got freedom from  200 years of foreign rule. For 650 years Muslims ruled India. Was it slavery? We all fought the British together, but he is speaking of 1200 years of foreign rule".

The MIM leader questioned BJP's credo of "justice for all, appeasement of none", by alleging that minorities are being discriminated against.

Owaisi alleged: "Is it not discrimination that that the Supreme Court found that Muslim youths were made the target in the Akshardham attack case, the investigations were conducted wrongly and the accused lost 10 to 11 precious years of their lives?

"Is it not discrimination that anybody trying to sell  properties in Gujarat needs to take permission from the state government?

"Is it not a fact that the file seeking permission to prosecute an IB official in Ishrat Jahan encounter case is lying with the government? Can anybody look into the eyes of Zakia Jafri and say that justice is being done to her? Sohrabuddin's brother is still seeking justice.

"Is it not discrimination that the officers who carried out encounters in Gujarat are back in service? What message are you trying to give?"

When Rajat Sharma played out video clippings of his and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi's hate speeches, the MIM leader said, his brother's case was sub judice, and he would prefer not to comment and  await the court's verdict.

Owaisi's brother Akbaruddin had in a rally in Adilabad two years ago made several provocative remarks against the majority community, and the cases are presently on in local courts .

"I have full faith in the judiciary. I hope we will get justice in the same manner in which (BJP MP) Varun Gandhi got justice", said Owaisi.

Owaisi lashed out at Samajwadi Party supremeo Mulayam Singh Yadav for not allowing him to enter Azamgarh at least four times in the last one and a half years.

"I can stand up and speak in Parliament, but in Azamgarh, from where Mulayam Singh is the MP, permission is first given to me and then cancelled."

When Rajat Sharma pointed out that it was because he could have stoked the communal fire there, Owaisi replied: "If I stoke the fire, or try to demean Mulayam Singh, time will tell. If I say something objectionable, you can book me. I told the Azamgarh SP several times, you can stop me if I make provocative remarks, book me, I am ready to go to jail.

"But I cannot understand why Mulayam Singh Yadav had a two-hour secret meeting with VHP leaders before the 84 Kosi Yatra. Were they watching Mughal-e-Azam film? And then, look what happened. This is the real face of Mulayam Singh and it is my duty to expose him", said Owaisi.

The MIM leader said his party would contest the Maharashtra elections and campaign against both the Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena-BJP combines.  

"Eightynine per cent of Muslims in Maharashtra presently live below the poverty line. Manmohan Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan can claim to be leaders of Muslims, but the fact remains that Muslims alongwith Dalits are  at the top in urban-rural poverty figures.

"In the Malegaon blast investigation, the Maharashtra ATS accused Muslim boys of carrying out the blast, while the National Investigation Agency  said, the blast was carried out by Sadhvi Pragya and Col Purohit. Who is correct?"

Owaisi said, "matchfixing is going on in Maharashtra between the Shiv Sena-BJP and Congress-NCP. They tell each other: either you come to power, or we stay in power. But we are telling the Muslims, there are others like us who will work for you."

When Rajat Sharma asked why his party was then part of the UPA at the Centre for 10 years, if he disliked the Congress, Owaisi said: "What benefits did I take from Congress? I never demanded any ministerial post. We supported UPA because it was for us, the mother of all compulsions. Ideologically, we could not go with the BJP because of their RSS leanings. We thought Manmohan Singh was a nice person, and our support was for Dr Singh, and not for the Congress."