New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Monday hit back at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over his recent remarks, accusing him of acting as an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Tiwari claimed that election results demonstrated how Owaisi’s party had contributed to splitting minority votes, prompting him to describe the AIMIM chief and the BJP as “twin brothers”.
The exchange comes amid political preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, with parties sharpening their positions and trading allegations ahead of the electoral contest.
Addressing a gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, Owaisi had declared that he would “never make a Nehru, a Gandhi, or a Yadav” his leader. He also stressed the need to provide greater opportunities to young people from the Muslim community.
“Muslim youth have as much potential as people from other communities… However, they are not given a platform,” Owaisi had said, adding that the AIMIM would provide them with opportunities to move forward.
Responding to the AIMIM chief’s remarks, Congress MP Tiwari accused him of working to divide opposition votes in favour of the BJP.
Speaking to IANS, Tiwari said, “What standing does Owaisi have to even suggest someone like a Gandhi or a Nehru? His sole function, whether intentional or otherwise, is to divide the minority vote at the behest of the BJP. I can say with full confidence that this individual works for the BJP, as evidenced by election outcomes.”
Tiwari further cited electoral results in Maharashtra and Bihar to support his allegations, claiming that the AIMIM’s electoral performance had helped the BJP and its allies by splitting votes that could otherwise have benefited other candidates.
“In Maharashtra, while his party won four seats, it also caused other candidates to lose in 22 constituencies by splitting the vote, ultimately paving the way for a BJP-led government. He did something similar in Bihar … The results clearly show that he operates as an agent for the BJP. Owaisi and the BJP are twin brothers,” he added.
This comes as political parties begin gearing up for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Tiwari also commented on the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
He argued that protecting citizens’ voting rights was essential and called for a change in government through the democratic process.
“The government in the country must be changed. The nation’s economic situation and foreign policy have both failed. The public wants relief from inflation and unemployment, and a change in government is essential to safeguard the right to vote. We want to change the government democratically through elections, and for that right to vote must be safeguarded,” Tiwari said.
–IANS
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