Hyderabad, August 26: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised the Allahabad High Court’s recent verdict on wearing hijab, describing it as an “attack on Islam” and arguing that the ruling violates constitutional protections.
Addressing a public meeting at the AIMIM headquarters in Darussalam on Tuesday night on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, Owaisi said he disagreed with the court’s position that hijab was not an essential religious practice. He argued that the ruling raised questions under Articles 25 and 19 of the Constitution.
Owaisi also referred to the Supreme Court’s recognition of privacy as a fundamental right and questioned the extent to which courts or governments should determine matters of religious practice.
Turning to the Uniform Civil Code, Owaisi alleged that laws being described as uniform were influenced by existing personal-law frameworks. Referring to Uttarakhand, Assam and Gujarat, he questioned how such provisions could be applied uniformly to communities with different personal laws.
He asserted that Muslims would continue to follow their religious beliefs and practices, saying attempts to separate people from their faith would not succeed.
Owaisi also attacked the RSS over its historical position on the Constitution and Manusmriti, alleging that the organisation had opposed the adoption of the Constitution and favoured Manusmriti.
On food-related restrictions, the AIMIM chief accused the government of double standards and referred to India’s large beef-export industry, saying economic interests were being prioritised.
He also criticised the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh, referring to encounters, bulldozer actions and alleged atrocities. Responding to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks concerning Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Owaisi highlighted Jauhar’s role in the Khilafat Movement.
The AIMIM president also opposed what he described as attempts to legislate on ‘Vande Mataram’. He recalled the roles of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in discussions surrounding the song and questioned whether political leaders today could claim greater patriotism or wisdom than the national figures.
Owaisi said issues such as the Uniform Civil Code, ‘Vande Mataram’ and cow protection were being used to divert public attention from unemployment and economic concerns.
Claiming that unemployment remains a major challenge for India’s youth, he warned that young people could take to the streets in protest if their concerns over jobs and livelihoods were not addressed.
