Seven months before the Gujarat Assembly elections, political leaders are beginning to visit Gujarat
to feel the pulse of the people. Following visits by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi
Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi arrived in Gujarat today.
During his visit, he will also hold discussions with party leaders on the Gujarat Assembly polls.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimen (AIMIM) chief who is Member of Parliament from
Hyderabad, began his two -day visit by issuing a statement regarding Gyanvapi video survey.
Challenging the silence of Opposition parties, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, on the
video survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex in Varanasi, the 53 year old leader alleged that they
are keeping mum because Muslims are not their vote bank.
Addressing an Eid Milap programme in Ahmedabad, Owaisi said that the decision to conduct the
survey was unconstitutional. The old law is that no change will be made in the basic structure of
religious institutions.
A Varanasi court on Thursday ordered that the video survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque located next to
the Kashi Vishwanath temple be resumed and a report submitted by May 17. The court had ordered
the inspection last month on a petition by five Hindu women seeking the right to unhindered daily
worship of the deity on the outer wall of the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque complex. The
exercise had been halted after allegations of bias were made against the official in charge. The
survey resumed on Saturday following a local court order .
At the same time, Owaisi has reacted to the issue of offering a sheet ‘Chaadar’ on Aurangzeb’s tomb.
A political controversy was raked after Owaisi’s brother and AIMIM Akbarauddin visited the tomb of
Aurangzeb in Khuldabad in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra and offered a sheet on it.
Reacting to the laying of the sheet on Aurangzeb’s shrine, Owaisi said, “It is not illegal to place the
sheet.”
At the same time, Owaisi has issued a statement on the decision to make singing of national anthem
compulsory in madrasas in Uttar Pradesh. “No one can deny singing the national anthem,” he said.
