06 January,2026 07:42 PM IST | Latur (Maharashtra) | mid-day online correspondent
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday addressed a rally. File Pic
Ahead of the Maharashtra local body elections, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday targeted the BJP, Congress and the two parties allies ahead of Latur civic polls.
Owaisi also stirred political debate after saying voters could accept money allegedly distributed during elections and use it for building toilets if they felt such practices were unethical, reported the PTI.
Addressing a rally ahead of the Latur civic polls, Owaisi said cash distribution began only after his party entered the electoral contest. "If you feel taking money is wrong or âharam', then use it for something useful like constructing toilets," he told the gathering.
Owaisi urged Muslims to strengthen their political leadership, saying minorities lacked political power despite forming a significant portion of the population. He said Dalits and Muslims make up a large share of the poor, but development has failed to reach their neighbourhoods, according to the PTI.
Criticising the Narendra Modi-led government, Owaisi questioned its priorities.
"The BJP talks about nationalism, but farmers are dying, young people are unemployed, and the focus remains on issues like love jihad," he alleged, reported the PTI.
He also claimed that the Prime Minister and the BJP remained silent about remarks allegedly made by US President Donald Trump suggesting that India's leadership took decisions to please him.
Owaisi alleged that the Maharashtra government's âMajhi Ladki Bahin' welfare scheme had seen a steady decline in beneficiaries. He also raised concerns about the state's debt, saying loans worth Rs 9.30 lakh crore had been taken and questioned who would repay them.
Targeting Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Owaisi questioned his loyalty to the public, stating that a leader who did not remain loyal to his political mentor could not be trusted by voters.
On the Waqf (Amendment) Act, Owaisi alleged that the law was being misused to lock mosques and dispute ownership of centuries-old dargahs. He objected to provisions allowing non-Muslims on Waqf boards, while Muslims are barred from Hindu trust boards, as per the PTI.
The AIMIM chief also questioned the circumstances surrounding the death of one of the accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case while in jail. He said 11 Muslim men were arrested and spent 19 years in prison before being acquitted, adding that questions remained unanswered about the death of one of them.
Owaisi criticised the Congress, stating that despite ruling Maharashtra and Latur for years, the party failed to provide basic civic facilities. He alleged that minority areas in Latur continue to face waterlogging during monsoon and drinking water shortages, the news agency reported.
Despite former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh serving two terms, Owaisi claimed the city had seen little meaningful development.
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(with PTI inputs)
