The war of words between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Devendra Fadnavis and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi is getting murkier as political temperature heats up in poll-bound Maharashtra.
Continuing his scathing attack on the Hyderabad Member of Parliament (MP), Fadnavis asked Owaisi to refrain from coming to Maharashtra where elections are scheduled to take place on November 20.
“These days Owaisi has started coming here. My Hyderabadi brother, stay there, don't come here, you have no business here. I don’t understand what’s happening- coming here, we’re being threatened,” Fadnavis is heard saying in a latest video shared by news agency IANS.
Fadnavis, who is also Maharashtra's deputy chief minister, is heard invoking Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who ruled from 1658 until his death in 1707, in his speech.
"Aurangzeb is being glorified here. I want to say that even true Muslims of India do not see Aurangzeb as their hero. Aurangzeb was an invader; he attacked us. So listen, Owaisi, even a dog wouldn't urinate on his identity…," Fadnavis said.
The remarks come amid war of words between the two leaders that began over Fadnavis's ‘vote-jihad’ comment. Earlier this week, Fadnavis slammed Owaisi and called him ‘descendant of Razakars’, who tortured the people of Marathwada. The ‘Razakars’ were a paramilitary wing of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, an Islamic political party in the Hyderabad princely state of British India.
"They are descendants of 'Razakars'. The 'Razakars' tortured the people of Marathwada, looted their lands, tried to rape women, and destroyed families. How can they talk to us?" Fadnavis said
The Deputy CM's Razakar jibe came a day after Owaisi targeted Fadnavis over his ‘vote jihad’ remarks, claiming that the BJP leader's idelogical ancestors wrote ‘love letters’ to the Britishers instead of fighting against them during the freedom movement.
"Our ancestors did jihad against Britishers and Fadnavis is now teaching us about jihad. (PM) Narendra Modi, (Union minister)Amit Shah, and Devendra Fadnavis together cannot defeat me in a debate," Owaisi said during a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Sunday.
Fadnavis had claimed on Saturday claimed that "vote jihad" had begun in poll-bound Maharashtra, which should be countered by "Dharma yuddha" of vote. The former Chief Minister said that the BJP's narrow loss in Dhule Lok Sabha constituency was also due to 'Vote Jihad'.
Voting in Maharashtra is scheduled for November 20. The BJP, which in alliance with Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena under the ruling Mahayuti banner, is contesting against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (Sharad Pawar) and the Congress.
