Owaisi slams Yogi over Ali-Bajrang Bali remark

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has assailed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his remark about a revered figure in Islam, calling the silence over it "unfortunate".

The Hyderabad MP also wanted to know who gave Adityanath the authority to make such a statement.

"The UP chief minister crossed all limits at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. 'Aap Ali ko rakh lo....Hamare liye Bajrang Bali kafi hain'. It is unfortunate that nobody condemned his statement.

"Certainly, you can follow Bajrang Bali, no one will object to it. Ali is the custodian of the whole universe.

Ali is ours and will remain ours. Is there no permission in this country to follow Ali and to take his name?" he told an election rally on Sunday.

Adityanath had recently targeted Congress leader Kamal Nath over a leaked video of his meeting with Muslim leaders where he was seen asking them to ensure 90 per cent of electors from the community voted for the party.

"I was reading a statement of senior Congress leader Kamal Nath. He said they don't need SC, ST votes. They need just the votes of Muslims. You keep your Ali, for us Bajrang Bali will be enough," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister had said addressing an election rally in Bhopal.

Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, is venerated by Muslims.

Owaisi said Adityanath's comment was an "insult" to Muslims.

Noting that the Indian Constitution guaranteed the right to religion, the AIMIM leader criticised the Rashtriya Muslim Manch for its "unfortunate" silence over the BJP leader's remarks.