BJP's intervention in triple talaq is tokenism, 'selective justice is not acceptable', says Owaisi

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to keep the communal pot boiling in the country through its remarks on triple talaq.

Talking to reporters, he said it was inappropriate on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Cabinet colleagues and others to speak on triple talaq when the Supreme Court was set to hear the case from May 11.

Reacting to Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu’s comments on Sharia, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief pointed out that a day after the prime minister asserted the issue should not be politicised, the central minister spoke about it.

The Hyderabad MP also referred to the statement by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that people should speak on triple talaq and to the remark by a Uttar Pradesh minister that Muslims use triple talaq for lust.

He said that if the BJP leaders had anything to say on the issue, they should say it in the Supreme Court, which was hearing the matter.

Owaisi remarked that Venkaiah Naidu was the new expert in the country on Sharia. “I would like to request Mr Venkaiah Naidu to explain to us what is Sharia,” he said, adding that “Muslims know what is in Sharia”.

“Some 1,400 years ago, Islam gave women the share in father’s property. Can you give us any such example,” he asked.

On the BJP leaders’ argument that they were speaking for justice to Muslim women, Owaisi said such “selective justice” was not acceptable.

“Why don’t they talk about justice to the blind mother of Pilo Khan, who was killed for carrying a cow, or justice to the mother and wife of Akhlaq, or justice to the mother of Najeeb and to Zakia Jafari,” he asked.

Owaisi also wanted to know why the BJP leaders were silent on the need for justice to 20 lakh Hindu sisters, who were separated or abandoned. “There are 4.30 crore women who are widows. Why don’t they speak about it or do something for their re-marriage?”

The MP said Modi, central ministers and other BJP leaders were silent on real issues like price rise, unemployment and security.