As Rishi Sunak, a Hindu and a British lawmaker of Indian descent became the Prime Minister of Britain, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his wish for a hijab-wearing girl to become Prime Minister of India one day.
Owaisi remarked at a media briefing in Vijayapura (Bijapur), Karnataka, during his campaign for the five party candidates running in the municipal corporation elections there that “they have their own democracy, and they can change the Prime Minister.” It is their issue. Wearing a hijab is banned. “Inshallah, there will come a time when one hijab-wearing girl will become Prime Minister,” Owaisi said, referring to Sunak becoming Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister.
Interestingly, Owaisi’s own party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has not a single woman in a top leadership position, with or without Hijab. How ironic is it that the head of a party with extremely low participation of women in its party and leadership roles wishes to have a Hijab-clad woman as the Prime Minister of India?
The AIMIM official website features Asaduddin Owaisi as the Naqeeb-e-Millat, his younger brother and full-time hate monger Akbaruddin Owaisi as Habeeb-e-Millat, their father Salahuddin Owaisi as Salar-e-Millat and two other leaders of the party but not a single “Khawateen-e-Millat”.
AIMIM has listed its top leaders on its official website, and not a single one of them is wearing Hijab since none of them are women. The political existence of AIMIM revolves around the ‘minority card’ and victim-playing. Even during the Hijab row in Karnataka, Owaisi had backed the girls protesting against the ban on Hijab in schools saying that it is an attack on the rights of minorities. Owaisi maintains dead silence on women protesting against mandatory veiling in Iran.
When asked about anti-Hijab protests in Iran in September, Owaisi told the media, “What I have to do with Iran. I’m skeptical of your patriotism, India’s girls want to wear Hijab, and you’re questioning Iran. You should have affection for Indians.”
Calling out the hypocrisy of the AIMIM chief, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla took to Twitter and asked the AIMIM chief if a Hijab-wearing girl can become the President of his party. “Owaisi ji hopes that a Hijab wearing girl becomes PM of India! Well, Constitution bars nobody but do tell us when will a Hijab wearing girl get to become President of AIMIM? Let us start with that?” he tweeted.
Owaisi ji hopes that a Hijab wearing girl becomes PM of India! Well Constitution bars nobody but do tell us when will a Hijab wearing girl get to become President of AIMIM?
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) October 26, 2022
Let us start with that? pic.twitter.com/MdG4v0sky6
In reaction to Owaisi’s remarks, BJP spokesperson N.V. Subhash claimed that “When there are protests against the hijab in a place like Iran, Owaisi is silent,” Subhash said.
Subhash remarked that India is a democracy and that anyone who works for the people will become Prime Minister. “Those who have a mandate will rule.” Who would have expected that a woman from the Scheduled Castes would become India’s President?” he stated.
Shehzad Poonawalla told Republic about Asaduddin Owaisi’s remarks “Charity begins at home. Thus, my simple question to Owaisi, who is also an MP, is, “Why don’t you make a Hijab-wearing woman the party president of AIMIM?” He stated that anyone in the country can become Prime Minister. “Nobody is barred by the Constitution. Anyone, Hijabi or non-Hijabi, can become the Prime Minister of the country… So, I want Owaisi Sahab to start by electing a hijabi woman to lead that (AIMIM) party.”
Poonawalla slammed the opposition leaders for bringing up the “Minority PM” issue and said, “Look at the hypocrisy, they don’t make any women as their party president, Mehbooba Mufti will not make a minority community member as a CM of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The debate started after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and other opposition leaders underlined how a ‘minority leader’ Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The issue escalated when Owaisi brought up the ‘Hijab-clad woman PM’ angle.
