Asaduddin Owaisi addresses an election meeting in Musheerabad in Bholakpur division

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi takes potshots and wisecracks at his opponents during the election campaign. His artful sarcastic comments, fired with a unique Hyderabadi modulation, brings down the house.

He uses nicknames and calls out his opponents, rapidly deploying rhetoric, metaphors, analogies and slogans. He tries to respond to every single allegation levelled against him by his opponents in his 15-20 minutes speech.

Participating in a door-to-door campaign during the daytime, he addresses people of the same area in bigger groups in the evening. In a single day, he addresses at least five election meetings.

Owaisi criticizes the BJP and TRS for levelling baseless allegations and unrealistic statements, replying to them with glib comments. Addressing an election meeting in Musheerabad in Bholakpur division, Owaisi laments that BJP state president Bandi Sanjay has threatened a surgical strike in the old city, challenging the BJP to tell “how many Pakistanis live here within 24 hours.”

He said, “a BJP leader says that if they win GHMC elections then they will do a surgical strike in the Old City to remove Pakistanis and Rohingyas from there. On whom do you want to do a surgical strike? All those living here are citizens of India. I give you 24 hours to tell how many Pakistanis live here?”

He said it was a fact that the Chinese PLA army entered the border in Ladakh and captured 970 square kilometer area, but BJP people do not dare to speak about China. He mocked those who cannot take the name of China, this ‘bankde



pahelwan’ (wrestler whose hands are folded) claiming they will do a surgical strike in Hyderabad.

He said all people living in Hyderabad are respectable Indians.” No Pakistani lives here. We do not allow them to stay. Another BJP leader says casting a vote for Majlis is not in the interest of the country.”

“Kiya yeh mulk tumhare baap ka hai?’ (does this country belong to your father)? Actually it belonged to our father, as Adam came here and we are the children of him”, he replied.

He hit back at national president of the BJP Yuva Morcha and MP Tejasvi Surya for referring to him as new ‘avatar’ of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who is spreading rabid Islamism and allowing Rohingya Muslims to settle in Hyderabad.

Do you know Jinnah? We are those who rejected the ideology of Jinnah and choose to live here. We are those whose ancestors had issued a fatwa against the Britishers in 1857,” he said.

He said this fight is between Hyderabad and Bhagyanagar. “BJP leaders are confused. They do not understand what to say. They are in frustration,” he said.

Owaisi said in civic body elections his opponents are speaking on irrelevant topics whereas we have to speak on issues like civic problems, drainage, water supply, roads condition, street lights, hospitals and property tax, etc.

“They have no nothing to talk about development and they are levelling baseless allegations and unrelated issues,” he added.