Owaisi defends speech, says he only spoke of police atrocities against Muslims

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday (December 24) was forced to issue a clarification after a one-minute video of his remarks during a campaign speech in Kanpur went viral where he is apparently heard and seen threatening police officials.

In the short video clip, Owaisi is heard saying: “Remember, Yogi Adityanath will not be the Chief Minister for ever. Modi will not be the Prime Minister forever. We Muslims will not forget your injustice. We will remember this injustice. Allah will destroy you through his strength. Things will change. Who will come to save you then? When Yogi will return to his mutt and Modi will retreat to the mountains, then who will come?”

Also read: ‘Laal Topi’ could be BJP’s nemesis in UP… but conditions apply

Owaisi said a one minute video was culled out of a 45-minute speech, deliberately leaving out the context of UP police’s atrocities against Muslims. “The context to my speech is amply clear. I was talking about cops who torture 80-year old men. I was talking about cops who watch silently as mobs thrash a rickshaw driver in front of his daughter. Cops who rained lathi blows on a man as held his child in his arms,” he said.

In order to distract from #HaridwarGenocidalMeet, a clipped 1 min video is being circulated from 45 min speech I gave in Kanpur. I’ll set the record straight:

1. I did not incite violence or give threats. I talked about POLICE ATROCITIES Here’s the full video in TWO PARTS [Cont] pic.twitter.com/buZWZmVNLa

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 24, 2021

Owaisi said his objective was not to incite violence or threaten anyone, but to talk of police atrocities against Muslims.

Also read: Owaisi creates ripple among parties banking on Muslim votes in UP

Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised Owaisi for his speech and described it as “shameful”.

The Haridwar function Owaisi referred to during his speech was organised by controversial religious leader Yati Narsinghanand, who declared a “war against Muslims” and asked “Hindus to take up weapons” to ensure a Muslim did not become the Prime Minister in 2029.