Why cut minority welfare budget by 40%?: AIMIM's Owaisi questions PM Modi

Amid the row over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing the minority welfare budget by 40 per cent and claimed that Muslim upper caste (UC) people are poorer than people belonging to Hindu Other Backward Class (OBC) in India.

"PM Narendra Modi said that a "group" among Muslims doesn't let Pasmanda Muslims progress. But the truth is that ALL Muslims are poor and UC Muslims are poorer than OBC Hindus. He's the PM of all Indians, then why has he cut Minority Welfare budget by 40%?" Owaisi tweeted.

Owaisi further questioned PM Modi about the government's opposition to the Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation for Dalit Muslims.

"Why is his govt opposed to SC reservations for Dalit Muslims? Why is BJP opposed to reservations for backward Muslims? Will he blame this social injustice also on lack of UCC?" he said.

He also asked Congress and other parties whether or not Muslims would get social justice.

"Congress & other "social justice" parties should also tell us: will we get our fair share or should we be happy that your leader wore a skull cap at an iftar party?" said the AIMIM chief.

Owaisi's reaction came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at Opposition parties for "vote bank politics" and their "policy of appeasement" and said that those who are supporting triple talaq are doing grave injustice to Muslim women.

The Prime Minister said that people are being instigated in the name of the Uniform Civil Code.

"The Muslim brothers and sisters of India have to understand which political parties are taking political advantage of them by provoking them. We are seeing that work is being done to incite such people in the name of UCC," he further said.

He said that appeasement politics had left many people behind, including the Pasmanda Muslims.

"Pasmanda Muslims have become a victim of politics. Some people are using the politics of appeasement to break the country. The BJP cadre should go and explain this to the Muslims and educate them so that they do not fall victim to such politics," PM Modi said.

"If they were really supportive of Muslims the Muslim brothers would not be poor or deprived...Supreme Court has also asked for the implementation of the UCC. But these people are hungry only for vote bank," Modi said accusing the Opposition in the country of employing vote-bank politics of appeasement.