All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "polarising voters" in the name of triple talaq and construction of Ram temple to ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party wins the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Owaisi said the Prime Minister wants to make triple talaq the core issue for the 2017 elections instead of focussing on delivering good governance and corruption.
"The Prime Minister's statement clearly shows that the BJP wants to make triple talaq an important issue for the upcoming UP elections. Instead of making governance, corruption, the Samajwadi Party infighting, the Prime Minister wants to make triple talaq and the construction of Ram mandir core issues of the BJP's campaign in UP," Owaisi told ANI.
He also questioned Prime Minister Modi for remaining silent to several issues, which have been regressive to the rights of women.
"Why didn't the Prime Minister say that separation in divorce is not highest among the Muslims; why didn't he talk about that agricultural land in Uttar Pradesh should also be given to daughters of all religion and the Muslim Personal Law Board has passed the resolution asking the UP government to give it to Muslim girls; why didn't he say that marriage laws in Goa would be removed, because he is facing elections in Goa, where limited polygamy is allowed to our Hindu brothers," he added.
Addressing a rally in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi criticised political leaders and people participating in TV debates for saying such discussions on triple talaq would keep women "deprived of their rights".
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"I request people who participate in TV debates to not make women rights a Hindu-Muslim issue. It is a development issue. The debate should be between the Muslims who are pro- and anti-reforms," he said.
He also said justice would be given to the Muslim women under the Constitution.