AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi and others offer prayers at Jalsa Youm-ul-Quran at Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad on Friday. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday questioned India’s foreign policy within the BJP, asking why the Union government had not openly condemned the recent attack on Iran and why the prime minister had engaged with leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump before the escalation.
Addressing a public meeting during the Jalsa Youm-ul-Quran programme, Mr Owaisi said that India has historically followed a neutral foreign policy for decades and stood by the Palestinian people.
“Look at my speech a few weeks ago. I said they will attack Iran as soon as Modi leaves (Israel),” he said.
President All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen linked the situation to India’s energy situation and said that nearly 60% of the country’s oil and gas reserves pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption to the region would lead to an increase in fuel prices, he said.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi and others offer prayers at Jalsa Youm-ul-Quran at Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad on Friday. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
He criticized the Prime Minister’s diplomatic performance and questioned why India had not publicly opposed the attack despite the potential consequences. Mr Owaisi said the prime minister should have told Iran earlier that no country should have carried out such an attack.
He said he had called for retaliation against Pakistan in the all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack, citing Article 51 of the Constitution and the UN Charter. He tried to support his argument by stating that Pakistan killed innocent civilians after asking about their religion.
Enumerating incidents of injustice against minorities, Mr. Owaisi cited a number of cases from different parts of the country and alleged that hatred against the community was being fueled.
Among the incidents he mentioned were the killings during election tension in Meghalaya, the alleged desecration of a mosque in Tura and a case in Rajasthan where a man was killed carrying fruit. He also pointed to police action in Delhi where houses were demolished following a neighborhood dispute.
Mr Owaisi went on to criticize remarks attributed to a police officer in Sambhal who was questioning Muslims protesting the attack on Iran. He said citizens have the right to protest under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Touching on the resurgence of the Uniform Civil Code story, Mr. Owaisi said attempts were being made to impose Hindu laws on the country. He emphasized that marriage in Islam is a contract and nikah is an essential part of the Islamic religion and not just a ritual.
He cited various marriage laws governing different religions in India and emphasized that each religious community has its own personal laws and traditions. He argued that Hindu law could not be imposed on Muslims through a uniform civil code and emphasized that religious freedom and personal laws must be respected in a pluralistic society.
Published – 13 March 2026 20:36 IST
