Asaduddin Owaisi defends his comments on protection of mosques

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday defended his comments on protection of mosques declaring that his speech was based on facts, and added that if the Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks up on the Places of Worship Act and says it is the law of the land and will be followed, the question of uncertainty and apprehensions over mosques will be a thing of the past.

Answering questions from reporters, Owaisi said "my speech was based on truths. Was Babri Masjid not demolished on December 6? Is it not a fact that no one was punished? Why did the Modi government not appeal against the Supreme Court judgment? Had the Masjid stood, would there have been a different judgment from the Supreme Court?"

On the judgement on the Babri Masjid-Ram temple dispute, Owaisi said "we had apprehensions that the judgment was based on belief. Our apprehensions are now being proven true with



other mosques like Sunehri and Teele Wali mosques facing threats. Yes, the judgement was final, but as Justice Verma said, the Supreme Court is supreme but not infallible."

Answering a question on his speech being labelled as "communal" and "divisive" by BJP leaders, Owaisi said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Phadnavis says December 6 is a happy day for him, that he was there when Babri was brought down. Is that not provocation or incitement? These people have been emboldened after the SC judgment, he said.

He said as a citizen he enjoys the right to freedom of speech just as anyone else and "as long as I am alive, I will keep reminding people about December 6. If someone does not want to hear what I say, they can stuff their ears with cotton. Are we in Israel or North Korea that I cannot raise questions? Let the government respond to the questions I have raised."