Asaduddin Owaisi Calls Allahabad HC Hijab Ruling an Attack on Islam at Hyderabad Meeting

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president and Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Allahabad High Court’s recent ruling denying a Muslim student permission to wear the hijab in school, describing the decision as an "attack on Islam" during a public meeting on the eve of Milad-un-Nabi late on Tuesday night.

Speaking in Hyderabad, Mr. Owaisi questioned whether courts should determine which practices are essential to a religion, asking, "Who are you to decide essentiality in Islam?" He argued that the court's position violated Articles 19 and 25 of the Constitution. Underscoring the Sabarimala reference, he pointed out that the Supreme Court had reserved its order on the matter.

The AIMIM chief also addressed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), asserting that attempts to impose uniformity on religious communities must not be confused with equality. Referring to UCC measures in Uttarakhand and Gujarat, as well as UCC legislation in Assam, Mr. Owaisi questioned why provisions based on Hindu personal laws regarding marriage, succession, and divorce should be imposed on Muslims, stating, "Remember that uniformity is not equality."

Turning to the controversy surrounding Vande Mataram, Mr. Owaisi invoked the history of the song to challenge the insistence by certain groups on reciting a full rendition. He stated that Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Subhas Chandra Bose held the view that only the first two stanzas should be recited. He questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP were wiser or more patriotic than those historical figures, adding that the country belongs to everyone and asking how he could be expected to turn the nation into a God.

Mr. Owaisi also responded to remarks made by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar. He highlighted Jauhar's education and leadership in the Khilafat and anti-colonial movements, noting that RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar had also been imprisoned for speeches supporting the Khilafat movement. He further criticised the RSS over an editorial published in the Organiser on November 30, 1949, which lodged complaints against the newly adopted Indian Constitution.

Addressing administrative matters regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Mr. Owaisi advised voters who did not find their names on the rolls to submit Form 6. He announced that the doors of the AIMIM party headquarters in Darussalaam would remain open to assist electors with notices and other revision-related queries.