Asaduddin Owaisi criticises BJP, police over arrest of Muslim youth in Varanasi

Hyderabad

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi, on Friday, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party and Uttar Pradesh police over the arrest of 14 Muslim youths in Varanasi, who broke their fast aboard a boat on the Ganga.

Mr. Owaisi was addressing a gathering at the Mecca Masjid on Jumatul Vida, the last Friday of Ramzan, where he questioned the basis of the charges.

“If one were to take a boat ride on the Hussainsagar in Hyderabad, wear a life jacket and consume food such as chicken biryani while breaking the fast, the authorities would invoke sections of the law?” he drew parallels, and questioned how, according to UP police, eating food on a river could be construed as an offence under Sections 298, 296, 270 and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Mr. Owaisi also raised concerns over pollution in the Ganga and the selective outrage, stating that sewage and human waste were being discharged into the river without attracting similar scrutiny. “You will not say anything about that,” he said, adding that the arrested youths were in jail “for the crime of being Muslim”.

The AIMIM president further accused the BJP of inconsistency, stating that while the party spoke of outreach to Pasmanda Muslims, it simultaneously supported actions that, he alleged, targeted the community. He also criticised the closure of meat shops during certain festivals, pointing to its impact on communities like the Qureshis engaged in the meat trade.

Questioning the selective sensitivity, he said that liquor shops remained open during Ramzan, asking whether the sentiments of Muslims could not be hurt in this.

On economic issues arising from the USA-Israel and Iran conflict in West Asia, he claimed that India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve was sufficient for only about 9.5 days and expressed concern over disruptions in exports, including fruits and basmati rice, citing logistical challenges. He also criticised calls for economic boycotts targeting specific communities, terming them divisive.