All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaddudin Owaisi has asked the Muslim youth to become a strong force in the country to fight for their rights and targeted leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, claiming they did not support the community members in their time of need.
Mr Owaisi was addressing a rally in Mumbra area of Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday during his party's national convention.
"If Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis can become leaders, why can't you?" he asked the Muslim community youth.
The AIMIM was formed 65 years back and just a handful of people used to attend its meetings, but the number has now gone up to thousands, he said.
"We also have the presence in Parliament, state Assemblies and local bodies and this growth should continue unabated and the youth should try to get into the administration as well through election," he said.
He asked the youth to come forward, make the AIMIM strong and fight for the rights of Muslims and Dalits.
Mr Owaisi targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackerary and sought to know why he kept silent when "our community members faced harassment".
He further said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar wants to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and wants support from the AIMIM.
"But he forgets that when it comes to supporting Muslims at the time of their crisis, he never bothered to come forward and left us to our fate. What kind of secularism is this?" he asked.
He also hit out at the Congress, saying its leaders had time for the Bharat Jodo Yatra and other activities, but did not turn up to console the families of those killed in mob lynching and other incidents.
Mr Owaisi said his party will put up "sher" (strong) candidates against those who claim to be holding on to their bastions.
"You cannot purchase everyone with money power, we still have some people who are loyal to us and with them we will defeat you," he said without naming anyone.
The AIMIM leader said he cannot be bought with money power.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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