Written by ….9911853902….Matiur Rehman Aziz
While giving a detailed review and explanation of the losses of Muslims, hypocrisy and allegations of BJP’s ‘B team’, we would like to tell you that during the assembly election campaign, senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Rampur MP Azam Khan severely criticized Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi. Azam Khan appealed to Owaisi to "show mercy, pity on weak Muslims, not manage their destruction and not oppress the country’s second largest population (Muslims) for his petty political gains”. This statement was not just a personal attack but reflects the long-standing allegations that Owaisi’s politics divides Muslims, weakens secular parties and indirectly benefits the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). This article focuses on Azam Khan’s statement and sheds light on these aspects of Owaisi’s politics.
Owaisi’s alleged hypocrisy, BJP’s policy of acting as ‘B team’, and allegations of BJP’s help in guiding secular parties. This analysis is based on historical context, electoral data and the views of political observers. The background and context of Azam Khan’s statement is that Azam Khan’s statement came in the wake of the Bihar elections when AIMIM fielded its candidates in the Seemanchal region, a region with a large Muslim population. Azam Khan, himself a powerful Muslim leader and considered the face of secular politics by the Samajwadi Party, warned Owaisi that his separate Muslim party was dividing Muslims. According to him, Owaisi’s focus is on "minor political gains” which overall harms the second largest Muslim population (about 200 million Muslims in India). The statement went viral on social media and was supported by several secular leaders, such as senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, who indirectly opposed Owaisi.
Azam Khan’s stance is that the strength of Muslims lies in unity, not division. Let us mention the losses caused to Muslims by Owaisi, that the politics of division and weakness is blamed on Owaisi’s party AIMIM’s Muslim vote bank politics, which further weakens Muslims. Historically, Muslims in India have been represented through secular parties (Congress, SP, RJD, etc.). Owaisi’s party with a separate Muslim name divides Muslim votes, which weakens secular candidates and benefits the BJP. Let us cite the example of Bihar 2020, AIMIM won 5 seats (like Amroha, Kishanganj), but Muslim votes were divided on these seats. For example, the RJD candidate in Kishanganj faced defeat as the Muslim vote was split between AIMIM and RJD, while the BJP alliance benefited. According to election data, Muslims constitute 40-50% of the vote in Syria, but the split gave the NDA over 20 seats.
In Uttar Pradesh 2022, AIMIM contested over 100 seats, but won only 0 seats. The SP-BSP alliance weakened in Muslim-majority areas, and Yogi Adityanath’s BJP got a second term. Political analysts like Yogendra Yadav say that the Muslim vote was split by 10-15% due to Owaisi, who acts as a "vote cutter” for the BJP. If we look at the overall loss, it will be seen that the representation of Muslims in Parliament has decreased (only 27 Muslim MPs in 2019, of which Owaisi is the only AIMIM). Owaisi’s politics of "Muslim pride” alienates Muslims, leading to increased Hindu polarization and attacks on Muslims (e.g. lynchings, CAA-NRC protests). Owaisi’s hypocrisy towards Muslims is a case in point, as he calls himself the "fearless voice” of Muslims, but critics accuse him of hypocrisy. He speaks in Parliament on Muslim issues (e.g. Babri Masjid, triple talaq), but in practice his party is confined to limited areas (Hyderabad, parts of Bihar). Owaisi calls BJP "hardline Hindus”, but supported TRS (which joined BJP alliance) in Telangana Assembly in 2018. He talks about secularism but allies with communal groups like Muslim League. Azam Khan says Owaisi manages the ruin of "weak Muslims” because his politics is only "show-off”, not focused on ground-level development (education, employment). AIMIM’s income and assets have increased (Owaisi family businesses), while poverty persists in Muslim areas. Critics say that Owaisi uses Muslim fear to get votes, but does not solve problems.
The biggest allegation is that Owaisi is the BJP’s ‘B team’ as a policy of acting as the BJP’s ‘B team’, which divides Muslim votes and diverts Hindu votes towards the BJP. This allegation has been going on since 2014 when Owaisi contested seats in UP and the BJP benefited. Policy examples are that in the 2017 UP elections, AIMIM contested 38 seats, Muslim votes were split, BJP got 312 seats. And in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Owaisi fielded candidates on several seats, where secular candidates lost. Political observers like Parsh Kishor say that Owaisi’s presence is a "soft target” for the BJP that polarises Hindus.
