Asaduddin Owaisi says if Namaz on roads is wrong, all religious processions should be banned

All India MajliseIttehadul Muslimeen AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that issues related to festivals and Namaz are raised deliberately to target Muslims and said the community will not give up prayersAddressing an Eid Milap event Owaisi said whenever festivals like Bakrid or Ramzan approach they just start creating issuesProblems with the Azaan problems with Namaz after all what has happened to you people he asked and recalled that Islamic scholars fought against the British from mosques and issued fatwas for the struggle Figures like Allama FazleHaq Khairabadi and Allama Kaifi hundreds and thousands of such scholars sacrificed their lives Today you are lecturing us making an issue out of the Azaan and the Namaz he saidOwaisi drew a comparison with religious processions saying roads are blocked during yatras from Uttarakhand to Delhi and tents are set up but you have no problem with that On Namaz being offered on roads he said it happens only for Friday prayers or Eid and not daily In India festivals of every religion take place on the road dont they You dont see those you go blind to them he saidHe added that no matter what happens Muslims will not give up Namaz He said he met teens who told him that after seeing television coverage they had decided to pray regularly in mosquesAlleging a double standard Owaisi said people have no objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modis speeches but object to Azaan and Namaz He also questioned restrictions imposed during Hindu festivals on the sale of eggs meat and chicken asking what kind of law is thisYour hatred is solely for Muslims And your hatred clearly shows that you want to suppress the followers of this religion and marginalise them You want to make them secondclass citizens he saidReferring to past incidents including Turkman Gate Maliyana Hashimpura and Nellie Owaisi said Muslims survived despite massacres Dont do these things No one is going anywhere there will be no second migration If you want to finish us it is in your power if you want to be a tyrant be one but we are not leaving from here This country is ours and it will remain ours he saidOwaisi cited Article 25 of the Constitution on religious freedom and argued for consistency in restrictions Remember Article 25 If offering prayers on the road is wrong then it is wrong for every religions festival to come out onto the road If you say meat shops should be closed during someones festival then close liquor shops for the 30 days of Ramadan Close liquor shops for 30 days he saidHe concluded by saying the Constitution allows criticism of even God but added that people were troubled just by the sound of the Azaan and by the word MuslimThe remark comes after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that people must offer namaz in a regulated manner and that it can be performed in shifts if required adding that the administration would seek compliance through persuasion and if that does not work other methods would be adopted to ensure adherence to public order normsOwaisi also criticised media coverage of the NEET paper leak saying 22 lakh children suffered but television channels preferred to focus on Muslims and issues like Azaan and meat instead of the students struggleHe questioned the labelling of a student who raised concerns over swapped CBSE answer sheets as Pakistani by a news anchor and asked Is everyone who questions the government a Pakistani Has Modi become God nowNEETUG 2026 was held on May 3 across 5432 centres in India and 14 abroad with around 2205 lakh of the 2279 lakh registered candidates appearing for the exam The NTA later cancelled the test on May 12 after agencies confirmed a question paper leak and a reexamination is scheduled for June 21Owaisi targeted the BJP government over rising fuel prices triggered by geopolitical tensions in West AsiaPetrol prices are rising they keep going up and up Gas prices are rising Dont talk about that Show the Muslims Speak out in the name of the Azaan Owaisi said during his addressHe asked why fuel prices were being linked to the Strait of Hormuz being closed while oil we have been buying from Russia since 2022 which brought billions of dollars in profit to Indian companies was not passed on as relief to peopleThe remarks come amid a fresh round of fuel price hikes across the country Petrol and diesel prices were revised upward again on Monday marking the fourth increase in less than two weeksReferring to past rulers he said the Nizams ruled for centuries but today there is only a curtain no gate left at King Kotis Parda GateThe building stands but there is no one left to live in it it is desolate In this country even the grandest palaces appear desolate he saidSo those who are in power today and think Oh nothing will happen to us these desolate palaces are calling out to you Do not commit oppression We are telling the BJP government do not oppress What you are doing is not right he said while also questioning the reference to infiltrators in political debate asking Where are the infiltrators Where Where is an infiltratorOwaisi concluded by reiterating that power is not permanent and urged the government against what he called oppressionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever