Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today alleged that he is "quicker than the cheetah" when it comes to "evading serious issues".
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader, who arrived in Jaipur on a two-day Rajasthan visit, called the recent Varanasi court order in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case a "setback" and said it went against the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
He also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government's move to conduct a survey of madrassas in the state.
Mr Owaisi's cheetah remark came when reporters asked the Hyderabad MP to comment on plans to reintroduce cheetahs in India and PM Modi releasing them at a wildlife sanctuary on his birthday - September 17.
PM Modi is set to release eight cheetahs being brought from Namibia into the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on September 17. The eight cheetahs will arrive on a customised Boeing 747-400 aircraft from Namibia's capital Windhoek and then flown to their new home in helicopters.
Mr Owaisi said the Prime Minister "moves faster than the cheetah when issues like inflation or unemployment are raised".
"When we talk about unemployment, (Prime Minister) Modi leaves even the cheetah behind. When we ask about China occupying our territory, Modi ji is quicker than the cheetah," he said.
"He is very quick in these matters, we are telling him to go slow," Mr Owaisi alleged.
While drawing a comparison with cheetahs, Mr Owaisi said, "Woh (PM Modi) bolne mein bahut tez hain," implying that the PM can talk his way out of a tricky situations.
"I am saying all this in a lighter vein so that the UAPA is not invoked against me," he said, referring to the strict anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The AIMIM chief denounced the recent Varanasi court order that rejected a plea by the Gyanvapi Masjid committee questioning the maintainability of the petition that sought daily worship of deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the mosque.
"The verdict is a setback. This will open up other such matters and could create a destabilizing effect," he said.
On the UP government decision to conduct surveys of privately-run madrassas, Mr Owaisi said he has already called it a "mini NRC", referring to the National Register of Citizens controversy.
"Why are only unaided madrassas being surveyed? Why is there no survey of RSS schools, and private and government schools," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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