'They See Muslims As Votes, Not Citizens': Asaduddin Owaisi Goes All Guns Blazing On 'Secular' Parties

"They see Muslims just as voters, not as citizens with rights," said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, lashing out at the "so-called secular" parties when asked why he was attempting to create a third political pole in Uttar Pradesh.

In a no-holds-barred interview with NDTV, after announcing his party's alliance with Chandrashekhar Azad's Azad Samaj Party, Owaisi said their primary objective remained the ouster of the BJP government in the state.

"Dalit-Muslim unity is not the sole objective. The main purpose is to ensure that the BJP does not return to power. We want to put up a strong fight against the BJP, which has unleashed lawlessness in the state," Owaisi said.

Speaking about the condition of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi argued that the community lacked a political voice in the state.

Read | Asaduddin Owaisi Seals Chandrashekhar Azad Tie-Up, Chief Minister Face. What It Means For UP

"They are victims of bulldozer action by the administration. They lag behind in jobs and education," he said.

Blaming the so-called secular parties for the community's plight, Owaisi alleged that Muslims were reduced to vote banks and forgotten once elections were over.

"They are used as votes, not seen as citizens with rights. The lies of so-called secular parties are repeated election after election," he said.

He also accused these parties of preventing the emergence of independent Muslim political leadership. "Muslims have not been allowed to develop political leadership, whereas every other caste group has its own political representation," he said.

Rejecting the criticism that his alliance with Azad would benefit the BJP, Owaisi accused Opposition parties of hypocrisy, pointing to the Samajwadi Party contesting elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the Congress taking on the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.

"Why did the SP contest in Kashmir? Who was responsible for our candidate Imtiaz Jaleel's defeat in Maharashtra? Look at the Congress. It is fighting the AAP in Punjab. It is calling AAP the B team of the BJP. There is a lot of contradiction and hypocrisy going around," he said.

Taking aim at what he described as the "feudalistic mindset" of political parties, which he claimed believed that only a select few could become chief ministers, Owaisi said there was an awakening among Muslims.

Read | UP Gave A Chance To BJP, Opposition, Needs New Option: Chandrashekhar Azad

"These parties have a feudalistic political mindset that only specific people can become CMs. The days of the offspring of kings becoming kings are over," he said.

Owaisi also dismissed claims that the SP had offered him an alliance, calling it the "biggest lie of the year".

"This is the biggest lie of 2026, that the SP has offered an alliance. I made an offer of an alliance, but the SP refused. Akhilesh called me Ravan and nomad. Under his rule, Muslims were turned into nomads in Muzaffarnagar after the riots. I visited the camps of those affected, and that was a turning point for me," Owaisi said.

Describing Azad as a young and dynamic leader, Owaisi said established political parties wanted to preserve the status quo, in which Muslims and Dalits remained vote banks, and insisted that his alliance was seeking to disrupt the existing political equilibrium.

"They want the status quo, but we are here to disturb the political equilibrium. They don't like that," he said.

Owaisi also criticised SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's visit to Ayodhya, alleging that it was an attempt to establish his Hindutva credentials.

"I have learnt from my elders that we should never fight on our opponents' strong points. If you are also relying on a mandir to win, what is the difference between you and the BJP? The SP is just trying to convince people of its own Hindutva credentials. It will not help Akhilesh," he said.