New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi sincerely believes in what he is saying about Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections, he should order the arrest of the persons involved.
“If what PM is saying is correct then what is NIA doing? Why doesn’t he charge them under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and National Security Act and have them arrested?” the Hyderabad MP asked.
“I expect him not to react in such a weak and meek way. Let him arrest them,” he said.
The MIM leader said the PM was questioning the nationalism and loyalty of even a retired army chief and a former foreign secretary. “If this is correct then you have to tell this to nation because it is a serious matter,” he said.
Owaisi alleged that by not acting on the matter, Modi had proved that it’s a mere rhetoric to polarize voters in Gujarat.
The MP said he was not surprised over the PM’s statement as his party had used the same language during Bihar elections. The BJP had said that if it loses the polls, people in Pakistan will celebrate Diwali.
The MIM chief also demanded the government to clarify on the meeting held in Bangkok between the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan. “Why there is so much secrecy about the meeting,” he asked.
Last week, Owaisi said that the Sangh Parivar wanted to use the Ram temple issue to save Narendra Modi in the 2019 general elections as he has failed on all fronts.
Talking to reporters in Hyderabad, he said a leader of VHP has announced that the temple construction will begin in October 2018 while RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has stated that only a temple can come up in Ayodhya.
“These statements are all aimed at influencing and threatening Muslims and raking up the issue before the elections to save Mr Modi, who has failed to provide jobs, check farmers’ suicides and his actions like demonetization and GST have destroyed business in the informal sector. The elections should be held on these real issues,” he said.
“When you don’t allow release of a film in Gujarat on the ground that it will influence the elections, how can you ignore the impact the temple issue may have?” he asked.
(IANS)