Shiv Sena fears PM Modi: Owaisi

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi fired a fresh salvo at the Shiv Sena on Saturday saying that Uddhav Thackeray-led party is "scared and afraid" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His comments come in the wake of the Shiv Sena, through their editorial mouthpiece Saamna, lashing out at the AIMIM chief over his criticism on the recent push by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Sena for the Centre to pass a law and commence construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Addressing the media here, Owaisi said, "The reality is that the Shiv Sena is scared and afraid of Narendra Modi and to show the world and cover up their cowardice, they have devised the new formula of only writing editorials and assuming they are doing a great service."

Owaisi added, "My request to the Shiv Sena people is to stop writing editorials. First, you must leave the Modi government because you are enjoying the fruits of power. You are having the cream and the cake in the state and in the Centre. Leave the Modi government, leave the Fadnavis government and come out."

In response to the Shiv Sena asking Owaisi to return to Afghanistan if his ancestors are descendants of Mughal emperor Babar, the AIMIM chief asserted that his ancestors are from India and that he is an Indian.

"The Saamna article talks about where Owaisi's ancestors are (from), I can tell and I can prove to you that my ancestors are from India, I am an Indian. Wherever you go and you find Muslim graveyards, those graveyards are a sign of my loyalty to this great country of ours," Owaisi said.

He continued his onslaught on the Shiv Sena by saying that their editorials reflect their ignorance about the law, suggesting the Sena to read the Supreme Court's judgement in the Ismail Faruqui case from the year 1994.

He further challenged the Shiv Sena to try and bring an ordinance to commence the construction of the Ram Temple, saying, "Who are they threatening that we will bring an ordinance. Bring an ordinance, we'll see how you will do it, I challenge them to bring an ordinance. We want to see whether this country will be run according to the Constitution, or according to their whims and desires. Let us see what they can do."

The political slugfest began with Owaisi hitting out at the RSS following chief Mohan Bhagwat's Vijayadashami speech, wherein the Sarsanghchalak urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government to "clear the path for construction of the grand temple through appropriate and requisite law."

Owaisi said that the RSS and the BJP are totalitarian entities who do not "believe in pluralism or rule of law," which led to the Shiv Sena berating the AIMIM president through a Saamna article earlier today.