AIMIM leader and MLA from Telangana, Akbaruddin Owaisi, who is no stranger to controversy, made a veiled reference to his infamous "15 minutes" remark that he made in 2013. Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, made his latest controversial comment while speaking at a political rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) on Tuesday (November 5).
Owaisi, whose rally was attended by a large number of people, told his party workers and the people at the rally to show patience as "15 minutes" were still left for his rally's deadline. The crowd cheered at his comment.
In 2013, Owaisi had kicked up a political storm after he had said at a rally that though Muslims were 25 crores compared to the 100 crore Hindus, it would take "15 minutes without police" to show which community really had "guts and power."
AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi also accused the political parties in Maharashtra of having no ideology left in them, and said he was being labelled as communal by those who indulge in divisive politics.
Owaisi, who is All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)'s MLA from Telangana, was speaking at a public rally at the Amkhas Maidan to campaign for his party candidates Imtiaz Jaleel, contesting the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls from Aurangabad East, and Naser Siddiqui from Aurangabad Central.
"Our party (AIMIM) raises the voice of Muslim, Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Marathas. I don't give provocative speeches. Those who talk about 'batoge to katoge' (divided we lose) call me communal," he said.
"Mob lynching, 'ghar wapsi', discourse on cap and beard and differentiating between Hindus and Muslims - don't such things make the country weak?," he asked, and said this country belongs equally to those who wear turbans, apply tilak on their forehead and those who wear (skull) caps on their head.
