"Not Afraid, Stand By My Statement": BJP Leader On "15 Seconds" Remark

Defending her "15-second" remark made against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Navneet Rana on Thursday said that that she is not afraid of anyone and will continue giving replies to those "working for Pakistan".

Earlier, while responding to the AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's statement that they would take them all of '15 minutes' to balance out the "Hindu-Muslim ratio" in the country, Navneet, had hit back at the Owaisi brothers, saying "it would take us 15 seconds if the police were removed or made to stand down".

"I always stand by my statement. I am not afraid of anyone. We are committed to giving a reply to those who are working for Pakistan in India. If they will take 15 minutes, we will take 15 seconds," Navneet Rana said.

Rana was heard saying in a video clip she posted on her X handle, tagging the Owaisi brothers, "The younger brother says, 'Remove the police for 15 minutes so that we can show them what we can do'. I want to tell the younger brother (Akbaruddin) that it might take you 15 minutes, but it will only take us 15 seconds. It will take us all of 15 seconds if we come to the forefront."

Reacting to BJP leader Navneet Rana's "15-second lagenge" remark, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give her one hour instead of 15 seconds and asserted they are not "scared" of the BJP leader.

"I tell Modi ji - give her 15 seconds. What will you do? Give her 15 seconds, give her 1 hour. We, too, want to see if you have any humanity left in you. Who is scared? We are ready...If someone is making an open call for it, then so be it. PM is yours; RSS is yours; everything is yours. Do it. Who is stopping you? Tell us where we have to come, we will be there. Do it," Owaisi told reporters on Thursday.

At a meeting in 2013, Akbaruddin warned "100 crore Hindus" that his community would show what it could do if the police were withdrawn for '15 minutes'.

After fellow party member Navneet Rana's '15 seconds lagenge' remark stoked controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Madhavi Latha on Thursday said that the former wanted to convey to the citizens that it will only take 15 seconds to cast their vote, which will help the nation move towards 'Viksit Bharat'.

Speaking to ANI, BJP's Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat candidate, Madhavi Latha, said, "We do not threaten anyone. We do not say to remove the police force for 15 minutes. We just want to say that you should take 15 seconds instead of 15 minutes and cast your vote. Do not go to attend provocative speeches. If you want to move towards 'Viksit Bharat'. Go and cast your vote. This is what she (Navneet Rana) meant."

Rana further targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that when Congress used to work on the directions of Pakistan when they were in power.

"Everyone knows that Rahul Gandhi is receiving messages of love from Pakistan. As long as the Congress was in power, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress worked on the directions of Pakistan. I am honest towards the soil of India. Coming from the kingdom of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, when we enter the field, we do not need to think about how to take out the sword," she said.

Earlier this month, former Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry praised Rahul Gandhi saying that he has a socialist ideology inside him.

"Rahul Gandhi like his great Grandfather Jawaharlal has a socialist in him, problems of India and Pak are so same even after 75 years of partition, Rahul sahib in his last night speech said 30 or 50 families Owns 70 per cent of India wealth so is in Pakistan where only a business club called Pak Buisness Council and few real estate Seth's own 75% of Pak wealth.. fair distribution of wealth is the biggest challenge of capitalism," Fawad Chaudhry posted on X.

Voting for all 17 seats in Telangana will take place on May 13 in the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.