Hyderabad MP Owaisi, Union Minister for Minorities Rijiju lock horns over minorities interpretation

The interpreation of Muslims as a minority community became a bone of contention with Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi accusing Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju of attempting to deny Muslims their fundamental rights under Article 30 of the Constitution of India.

Mr. Owaisi, who represents Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha, took objection to the manner in which the Union Minister compared the population of Parsis and Muslims. While the latter’s numbers are the equivalent of a village, the former’s were large enough to the be equivalent of the world’s six-largest country.

“Simple math question for @KirenRijiju what is bigger? 79.8% or 14%? If Hindus are the majority community, then every non-Hindu group is a minority community,” Mr Owaisi responded on X. “If we accept the Minister Against Minorities’ logic, then Hindi-speakers cannot be a minority in non-Hindi states because their population is more than the combined population of Canada and US,” he said as he accused the Minister of indulging in propaganda.

Mr. Rijiju retorted by pointing out that while Muslims may be notified as a minority in India, he should ‘not let them feel small because their numbers would be the 6th largest country, if they are counted as a nation’.

“Every Indian is equal. Even Parsis with around 53,000 population are as safe as the Muslims. Every religion has flourished in India. Only the population of Parsis and Hindus (in percentage) have come down India,” the Union Minister posted, even as he described Mr. Owaisi as the ‘tallest Muslim leader in India’ and Congress as a Muslim League party.

“The Pseudo-secular political parties are desperately scrambling to secure Muslim votes but anyone seeking Hindu votes would be branded as communal. Everyone should be considered equal and no community should be treated as a vote bank. Congress looks at Muslims as vote bank,” he added.