Asaduddin Owaisi reacts after video of Maneka asking Muslims to ‘vote for her or else…’ goes viral

Hyderabad: Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, President of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) reacted after Ms. Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister for Women & Child Development asked Muslims in Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh to vote for her, failing which she would not consider their requests for jobs “when elected”. Ms. Gandhi said this while addressing a public meeting.

After the video went viral, Mr. Owaisi tweeted, ” I say Muslims should get a FAIR DEAL in this country, that they should be treated as human beings & I am called ‘Bhadkhau Bhaijaan’”.

He also wrote, “@Manekagandhibjp pls understand that a vote is not feudal ‘salami’. An MP cannot refuse a constituent on their faith or who they voted for”.

It may be mentioned that addressing gathering, Ms. Maneka Gandhi had said, “Mai jeet rahi hun, logo ki madad se jeet rahi hun. Lekin agar meri jeet, musalmaano ke bina hogi, to mujhe bahut acha nahi lagega. Kyunki itna mai batati hun, ki dil khatta ho jaata hai. Fir jab musalmaan aata hai kaam ke liye, fir mai sochti hun, rehne do, kya farak padta hai. Naukri saude baazi hi to hoti hai. (I am going to win with the help of people. But if I win without the support of Muslims, then I won’t like it much. Because you feel bad. And then when Muslims come for jobs, I will say leave it, it makes no difference)”.

YouTube video

She further said, “Yeh aapko pehchaan na padega. Yeh jeet aapke bina bhi hogi, aapke saath bhi hogi. Aur yeh cheez aapko sab jagah fehlani padegi. (You will need to understand that this victory will come without you, or with you. You will need to spread this)”.

Justifying her statements, she said, “Yeh nahi ki hum sab Mahatma Gandhi ki chhati hui aulad hain, ki hum dete hi jayenge, dete hi jayenge aur fir election mei maar khaate hi jayenge. (It is not that we are children of Mahatma Gandhi that we will only keep giving and get beaten in the elections)”.

Later, she was issued a show-cause notice by Sultanpur’s District Magistrate as the Election Commission took congnizance of the matter and asked her to explain her remarks.
It may be noted that Maneka Gandhi, who was Pilibhit MP, has swapped seats with her son Varun Gandhi, who had won Sultanpur in 2014.

With inputs from IANS