AIMIM chief Owaisi criticises Samajwadi Party ahead of 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections
Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), launched a sharp critique of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its leader Akhilesh Yadav during a public meeting in Bijnor on Monday night. Addressing a gathering, Owaisi accused the SP of practicing what he termed 'Yadav-vaad' rather than socialism, and positioned his party as an alternative for Muslim and Dalit voters ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Owaisi focused his remarks on the SP’s track record and its local leadership. He criticised Tasleem Ahmed, the three-time SP MLA from Najibabad, alleging that the party relies on generating fear of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure votes rather than delivering development. 'There has been no development in Najibabad. The entire Samajwadi Party leadership is weak,' Owaisi claimed, urging voters to support AIMIM to defeat the ruling BJP.
Owaisi also took aim at Akhilesh Yadav directly, accusing him of using 'politics of fear' to consolidate Muslim votes. He quoted Akhilesh as saying, 'If you do not vote for me, there will never be another election.' Referring to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, Owaisi said that 50,000 Muslims were displaced during the SP government under Akhilesh Yadav, and that these mistakes contributed to the BJP's subsequent rise to power.
Questioning the SP's PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) slogan, Owaisi alleged that the party selectively supports leaders based on caste identity. He cited reports of Akhilesh Yadav standing with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, a BJP leader, and asked, 'Is it only because he is a Yadav?' Contrasting this with issues affecting Muslims, Owaisi said, 'In Sambhal, a mosque was demolished and notices are being issued, but Akhilesh does not seem bothered.' He concluded, 'This is not socialism; it is merely politics centred around the Yadav community.'
On the possibility of opposition alliances, Owaisi stated that AIMIM is open to joining hands with other parties, but only if treated with 'respect and dignity'. He asserted that AIMIM would no longer accept a subordinate role in any coalition.
Owaisi also targeted the BJP government, referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as 'Baba' without naming him. He questioned the government's development claims, alleging that an integrated ethanol factory inaugurated by the government has remained shut since 2024. He also criticised the law-and-order situation and raised the controversy over alleged irregularities in donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Owaisi alleged that those responsible were being protected, contrasting the treatment of Muslims with that of Hindu figures. He said, 'If a Muslim had been involved, his house would have been demolished. But Champat Rai is enjoying himself.'
Owaisi urged Muslims not to bow down and to fight for their rights, invoking the message of Karbala: 'Just as Imam Hussain did not bow before Yazid, we too will not bow down.'
