BJP Leader's Comment in Hyderabad Sparks Owaisi Backlash
BJP's Navneet Rana sparks controversy, claiming BJP needs only 15 seconds to respond to AIMIM's 15 minutes. AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi challenges PM Modi. Hyderabad election tension.
A controversy has ignited following a speech by BJP leader Navneet Rana in Hyderabad during a campaign for the party's candidate, Madhavi Latha, for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. Rana's remarks, made on May 8, drew attention to a past statement by AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, who in 2012 had said that if the police were removed for 15 minutes, his community would demonstrate its power to 100 crore Hindus.
Rana's response to Owaisi's statement was, "Akbaruddin said remove police for 15 minutes so they can show what they can do… I say, it may take you 15 minutes but it will take us only 15 seconds." Her comments were made alongside several other BJP leaders during the campaign.
The response to Rana's statements came swiftly from AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, who challenged Prime Minister Modi to give Rana 15 seconds or even an hour. Asaduddin Owaisi stated, "What will you do? Give her 15 seconds, give her one hour. We also want to see if you have any humanity left in you. Who is scared? We are all ready." He emphasized that if such open calls for confrontation are made, they are prepared to face it. Asaduddin Owaisi also highlighted the political landscape, stating, "PM is yours, RSS is yours, everything is yours. Do it. Who is stopping you? Tell us where we have to go, we will be there, do it."