Owaisi rejects Bhagwat's claim of 'religious imbalance', says Muslims using condoms most

Hyderabad, Oct 9 (IANS) Dismissing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's talk of 'religious imbalance' in India, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the population growth rate of Muslims is actually on the decline and claimed that Muslims use condoms the most.

Owaisi's remarks came after Bhagwat expressed concerns over the population imbalance. In his speech at the annual Dussehra rally of the RSS, he also called for a comprehensive policy to check population rise.

The Hyderabad MP alleged that Bhagwat is trying to create fears about Muslims population while the fact is that their population is coming down.

"Don't take tension. Muslim population is not rising. In fact, it is on the decline," he said while addressing a public meeting late Saturday night on occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi.

"The gap between two children is called spacing. Do you know who is maintaining that the most? We Muslims. Who is using condoms the most? We are doing," he said and questioned the silence of Bhagwat on these 'facts'.

Owaisi found fault with the RSS chief for speaking without data. He pointed out that Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the country has dropped to two per cent. Citing the national family health survey - 5, he said the TFR fall was steepest among Muslims.

Owaisi also asked RSS chief to break his silence on female feticide among Hindus. He said 90 lakh Hindu girls were not allowed to be born between 2000 and 2019.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President also questioned Bhagwat's silence on the sex ratio at birth. "Among Muslims, there are 943 females for every 1,000 males while among our Hindu brethren there are 913 females for every 1,000 males," he said.

He pointed out that in 2020 the Modi government gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court that it does not want to make family planning compulsory in the country.

The MP said Bhagwat out of his hatred towards Muslims was trying to create fear by claiming that population of Muslims was increasing.

He said attempts were being made to demonise Muslims by calling them traitors, cow eaters and terrorist and by projecting madrasas as centres of terrorism.

Owaisi also took exception to Bhagwat using the term so-called minorities. "We are minorities under Article 30 of the Indian Constitution. I am not living in the country at the mercy of BJP and RSS," he said.

The MP said that the idea of 'Hindu Rashtra' is against Indian nationalism, and it shatters dreams of the great freedom fighters who fought for the country's Independence.

He reminded Bhagwat that RSS did not participate in the freedom fight while several Muslim leaders laid down their lives. "Maulvi Allauddin was sent to Kalapani but he did not write an apology to the British like Savarkar did," he said.

Owaisi also alleged that wherever BJP is in power, Muslims feel like they are living in open jails. He slammed the survey of madrasas being undertaken in Uttar Pradesh and questioned the silence of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.

The MP demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on public flogging of Muslim youth by police in Gujarat. He said Muslim youths were tied to a pole and publicly thrashed amid slogans by people who had gathered to watch it.

"If this was how the punishment is given, shut down the courts and remove police," he said.

Owaisi also remarked that a dog on street has respect than a Muslim in India. He questioned the silence of those who call his party 'B' team and take votes of Muslims.

He alleged that those drunk with power had become oppressors and reminded them that power is not permanent.

"Today the time is yours. Our time will also come but we will not reply with zulm. We have to respond to violence with unity, political power and by strengthening democracy and rule of law," he said and advised Muslims not to get demoralised.

On the demands by some parties to react to the ongoing protest by women in Iran, Owaisi said he was not bothered about what happens in other countries. "I will talk about my country. Here, my daughter wants to wear a Hijab and you are not allowing her to do so. How is this justified," he asked.