BJP slams AIMIM for fielding Tahir Hussain, says move 'polarising'

BJP MP Sambit Patra on Tuesday slammed the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) for fielding former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain as its candidate in the upcoming Delhi elections, calling the move part of a deliberate attempt to polarise the elections along Hindu-Muslim lines. Hussain, who is currently in judicial custody, is accused of being a key conspirator behind the deadly 2020 Delhi riots.

Patra said, "Tahir Hussain was a conspirator behind the deadly 2020 Delhi riots and is behind bars now. Such a person has been given a ticket by Asaduddin Owaisi's party AIMIM for the Delhi elections. This is a conspiracy to polarise the elections on the lines of Hindu-Muslim."

He further questioned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had initially defended Hussain. "What does AAP think of this, the party who was defending Tahir Hussain initially?" Patra asked.

Earlier, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar accused the BJP of using AIMIM and other parties to divide votes after AIMIM on Tuesday announced former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain as its candidate for the upcoming Delhi elections. AAP claimed that this strategy has historically benefited the BJP in past elections.

Kakkar said, "It's a part of the BJP's negative strategy. Wherever BJP starts losing, they bring more parties to contest elections. They (BJP) brought BSP and AIMIM in the Lok Sabha elections. When you see the data, it shows that whenever AIMIM fielded its candidates, it has benefited the BJP."

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told ANI, "Regarding AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, we neither fielded him in elections nor supported his actions. His political moves often end up benefiting the BJP. Looking at past data, his involvement in elections has frequently polarised voters, indirectly aiding the BJP."

BJP's Delhi chapter has condemned AIMIM's decision to field former MCD Councillor Tahir Hussain, who is currently in judicial custody for his alleged role in the 2020 North East Delhi riots, from the Mustafabad Assembly seat in the upcoming Delhi elections. Delhi BJP Vice President Kapil Mishra on Tuesday said the decision to field Hussain was an attempt by AIMIM to promote divisive politics.

In a post on the social media platform X, Mishra said, "Tahir Hussain, who had plotted the murder of hundreds of Hindus in Delhi, in whose house bombs, stones, and slingshots were kept to kill Hindus, and who killed IB officer Ankit Sharma by stabbing him 400 times and throwing his body in the drain, is now being fielded in the election. An attempt is being made to challenge the Hindus of Delhi by fielding such Jihadis. If any attempt is made to start riots in Delhi again, your seven generations will bear the consequences."

Mishra accused AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi and his party of promoting divisive politics by nominating Hussain, who is an accused in multiple 2020 riot-related cases in the National Capital and the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma.

"The announcement of Hussain's candidacy was made earlier in the day by Owaisi in a post on X. "MCD Councillor Tahir Hussain joined @aimim_national & will be our candidate from Mustafabad Assembly Constituency in the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. His family members and supporters met with me today and joined the party," Owaisi wrote.

Hussain remains in judicial custody and is likely to contest the elections from jail.