UP Shia Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi has mounted a scathing attack on Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and has compared him with slain Islamic State (ISIS) chief Abu Bakr-al Baghdadi.

Rizvi has alleged that Owaisi is pushing Muslims towards acts of terror and bloodshed through his speeches.

“There is no difference between Abu Bakr-al Baghdadi and Asaduddin Owaisi today. Baghdadi had an army and arms and ammunition which he used to spread terror, Owaisi through his ‘zabaan’ (speeches) is creating terror through it. He is pushing the Muslims towards acts of terror and bloodshed. It is high time that there should be a ban on him and the Muslim Personal Law Board,” he said.

Rizvi’s remarks against Owaisi have come after the AIMIM chief’s views on the recent historic Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya dispute case. Owaisi has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute.

Rizvi is known for his pro-BJP stand and has recently donated a sum of Rs 51,000 for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya. He has also welcomed the court verdict on the issue.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi was on Saturday trolled heavily on social media platforms for saying at an election rally in Maharashtra that he had once donated 15 bottles of blood in a single day.

The video of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP was shared on Twitter after which netizens went crazy, making several memes, GIFs and funny jokes on it.

In the video, which has gone viral on social media, Owaisi also told the gathering that he not only donated blood, but also personally ran to the victims’ bedside at Hyderabad’s Osmania General Hospital to deliver the blood.

Here are some funny reactions to Owaisi’s video:

A person by the username @NIRUPAMACHARJE1 tweeted: “Average blood volume in an adult ranges from 4,500-5,700 ml. One unit (bottle) of blood = 525 ml. 15 Units of Blood = 7,875 ml. Owaisi–@asadowaisi telling he donated 15 bottles of blood & delivered himself!! Insallah… even Allah can not defend this, forget Medical Science.”

“He says — ‘khoon bhi de raha tha fir apne haath se bottle jaa kar de raha tha’. I thought he is intelligent,” another user tweeted.

“@asadowaisi ne ek din mei 15 bottle khoon diya aur log taali bhi baza rahe,” another tweet read.

Another Twitter user posted: “@asadowaisi Peg diya hoga 60 ml wala galti se khoon bola gaya.”

Owaisi was addressing a rally in western Maharashtra ahead of the state Assembly polls on October 21.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to divert public attention from real issues like the economic crisis, poverty and unemployment by talking of ‘cow’ and ‘Om’.

He told reporters that Modi doesn’t want debate on falling growth rate and people becoming jobless.

Owaisi was reacting to Modi’s remarks made at the launch of a disease prevention programme for livestock at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh earlier in the day.

“Some people get a shock at hearing words like cow and Om and it is unfortunate,” Modi had said.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said it is unfortunate that Modi talks of only one religion. “He doesn’t talk of the beauty of India, which is home to all the religions. He took oath on the Constitution and we had hoped that he will talk of all religions,” he said.

He alleged that the Prime Minister made the remarks with an eye on the ensuing Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.

“We want to ask the Prime Minister whether it is not true that each morning every Indian hears the azan from a masjid, Om from temple and hymns from other places of worship. He should have said the beauty of this nation is that it has followers of all religions.

“We also want to know from Mr Modi as to how many incidents of mob lynching occurred since he became Prime Minister,” Owaisi said

He said Modi stated three to four times that these incidents are painful but his words had no effect because his government and his party’s state governments, instead of doing justice to the oppressed sided with the oppressor. Owaisi cited the case of Tabrez Ansari who was mob-lynched in Jharkhand. The murder charges have been dropped against the accused.

He said as Hindu brothers consider the cow as sacred, their religious sentiments should be respected. He, however, pointed out that the Constitution has given the right to life to human beings.

On Modi’s remark that the cow is key to the economy, Owaisi commented that the economy is already destroyed. “He is bothered about the cow economy but not concerned about country’s economy. The GDP growth has slumped to five per cent. 10 lakh people are going to be jobless in automobile sector. The rupee’s value is falling but he is bothered about cow economy.”

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi here on Wednesday urged the Rajasthan government to file an appeal against the acquittal of all six accused in the killing of Pehlu Khan.

Earlier, the Alwar Sessions Court acquitted all the six accused in the case, giving them the benefit of doubt. Pehlu Khan (55) was lynched by cow vigilantes on April 1, 2017 on the suspicion of smuggling the cattle from Rajasthan to Haryana.

The government should seek conviction and sentencing of the accused in a time-bound manner, he said. “It’s a judgment of a court of law and we must respect it. But the government has a duty to prosecute effectively. The government must file an appeal and seek conviction, sentencing in a time-bound manner,” tweeted Owaisi.

“In most lynchings, the accused were happy being filmed while lynching a human being. They wanted to be famous for these awful acts. But are we to now believe that no one killed Pehlu Khan? What will this deliberately shoddy prosecution tell his family?,” asked the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has demanded a legislation from the Centre to curb the increasing incidents of mob lynching, as directed by the Supreme Court.

He said it had been a year since the apex court directed the Centre to draft a legislation but the Modi government has done nothing.

Terming those indulging in mob lynching as terrorists, Owaisi said these incidents were result of the hatred being spread against Muslims. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discharge his Constitutional responsibility by acting on the incidents of mob lynching.

Owaisi wondered what was stopping the Prime Minister from making the legislation when he constantly talked about winning the confidence of Muslims.

He was addressing a public meeting here late on Friday night to protest the recent killing of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand.

The Hyderabad MP said over 50 persons, majority of them Muslims, have been killed in incidents of mob lynching in the last five years. He said eight persons were lynched since May 23, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the elections to get a second term in power.

Owaisi said in Jharkhand where BJP was in power, 18 people were killed by mobs during the last four-and-half years. Eleven of those killed were Muslims.

The MP said Tabrez Ansari was tied and beaten up by a mob throughout the night and the next day he had to face bias by police, doctors and even jail authorities and was not provided proper treatment, resulting in his death.

He said those who killed Ansari were traitors, enemies of India and terrorists. The MP said there was no difference between them and terror outfit IS.

“I have been saying that mob lynching will not end because people’s minds were poisoned about Muslims. This hatred was created over last 50 years but it reached a peak during last five years,” he said.

Owaisi said it was unfortunate that the minds of youth, who had not seen the communal riots and demolition of Babri Masjid, were also poisoned.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said Muslims should not lose hope or be afraid of the situation. He urged them to remain united and hold on to their faith while fighting against the oppressors within the limits of democracy and without taking law into their hands.

Referring to the issue of mob lynching being raised in United Nations’ Human Rights Council, Owaisi said as an Indian he felt ashamed over it.

The MP wondered how Modi would make India a $5 trillion economy when hatred was being created about 17 crore Muslims and every month someone is killed either in the name of cow, or for not raising slogans, or for having a beard and wearing a skull cap.

Owaisi also referred to the slogan shouting by BJP MPs in Parliament when he and other Muslim MPs were taking oath. “What message were you trying to give to the country,” he asked.

The second day of the 17th Lok Sabha was brought into sharp focus by slogans raised during the oath-taking ceremony of the new lawmakers.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s swearing-in got all the attention as he responded to the shouts of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by Bharatiya Janata Party MPs with ‘Allahu Akbar’.

As the Hyderabad MP walked towards the Speaker’s podium to take oath, chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ were raised by almost all members on the treasury benches.

A smiling Owaisi waved at them and proceeded to take oath.

Soon after going through the procedure, Owaisi responded to the slogans with ‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Nara-e-takbeer Allah Hu Akbar’ and ‘Jai Hind’.

Reacting to slogans by pro-Hindutva side, Owaisi said, “It is good that they (BJP MP’s) remember such things when they see me. I hope they will also remember the Constitution and deaths of children in Muzaffarpur.”

Most BJP MPs raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans when they took oath.

An exchange of sarcasm was visible between Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Lakhimpur Kheri MP Ajay Kumar when the BJP legislator raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi then intervened, indicating Rahul Gandhi not to make any comment.

The BJP MPs raised the slogans whenever any Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP took oath.

TMC’s Kakoli Ghose gave back to the BJP MP’s slogans with ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Jai Bengal.’ Sonia Gandi admired her strong reaction with thumpings on her table.

An Independent MP from Amravati, Navneet Rana, reacted to the sloganeering and said: “This is not the right place, temples are there for it. All gods are the same, but targeting someone and taking that name, is wrong.”

Slogans of ‘Mandir vahin banayenge’ were raised in the Lower House as Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj took oath as a Member of Parliament in Sanskrit.

BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Hema Malini concluded her oath with ‘Radhe Radhe! Krishnam Vande, Jagat Guru.’

Besides sloganeering, first time actors-turned MPs Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur and Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur also drew attention in the Lok Sabha.

Several members took selfies with Deol while Ravi Kishan’s oath-taking concluded with ‘Namo Parvataye Pate Har Har Mahadev’ chant. Ravi Kishan’s demand for taking oath in ‘Bhojpuri’ — regional language — was denied by the pro tem Speaker Virendra Kumar.

Considering poor health of ailing and wheel-chair bound Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, he was allowed to take oath from near his seat after the House gave its verbal approval.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said the heinous crimes taking place in different parts of the country should not be linked to religion and the guilty, irrespective of their community, should be punished.

The Hyderabad MP decried attempts by a section of media to give wide coverage to incidents where the accused belonged to a particular community but ignoring crimes committed by people from another community.

On a special court in Punjab convicting six of the seven accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua, Owaisi recalled that BJP leaders including ministers had come on the roads in support of the accused.

“BJP should respond why their ministers had come out in support of the accused,” he told reporters here.

On the killing of two-year-old girl in Aligarh, Owaisi said nobody came out in support of accused Zahid and Aslam. “We are condemning all such incidents. Justice should be done in all cases, irrespective of the community the accused come from,” he said.

Addressing a public meeting late on Sunday night, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief wondered why the ‘pro-BJP’ media was silent on the incident in Indore where one Shiva Rao raped and killed a five-year-old girl.

“In Gaya, Bihar Chintu Kumar raped a 12-year-old girl and in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, a 12-year-old Dalit girl was raped in front of her parents. In Hyderabad, one Vishnu raped a deaf and dumb girl and he was convicted.”

Owaisi also found fault with the manner in which a section of media tried to play up an incident that occurred in Hyderabad last week in which relatives of a woman stabbed a youth because he had married her against their wishes.

The MP said the parents should realize that they can only advise their daughters what is good for them but can’t forcibly stop them from marrying somebody they like.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday slammed Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy for his statement that Hyderabad is a “safe zone for terrorists”.

The Hyderabad MP termed the minister’s remarks irresponsible and said it was unfortunate that he has stooped so low.

Kishan Reddy, who was elected from Secunderabad, one of the Lok Sabha constituencies in Hyderabad city, had said on Friday that Hyderabad had become safe zone for terrorists as any terror incident in the country would have a link to the city.

Talking to reporters, Owaisi asked Kishan Reddy to spell out as to how many written advisories were sent by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to the Home Ministry during last five years that Hyderabad had become safe heaven for terrorists.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief also said for the last five years, there was complete peace in Hyderabad as no communal riots broke out in the city and all religious festivals passed off peacefully.

Owaisi, who was re-elected to Lok Sabha from Hyderabad for fourth consecutive term, said out that the city is also the second major exporter of software exports after Bengaluru.

“The statement shows how much they hate Telangana and Hyderabad. They don’t want to see the state and the city grow because major companies are investing here due to the efforts of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao,” he said.

Owaisi said that such statements from BJP leaders are not unexpected as “wherever they see a Muslim, they think he is terrorist”.

He clained the BJP was following a “theory of confusion” as Prime Minister Narendra Modi says one thing while his ministers, leaders of BJP, VHP, other organizations and Baba Ramdev say something else.

Recalling that after Modi first became Prime Minister, they started with “Love Jihad”, he said that “this was followed by “Ghar Wapsi”, mob lynching, excesses on Dalits and now they were speaking of safe zone for terrorists”.

After Modi took as the Prime Minister for the second term, series of hate crimes against Muslims occurred in Gurugram, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, he added.

“Mere lip service will not help. You have to practically discharge your constitutional responsibility,” he said on Modi’s call to end fear among minorities.

On BJP leaders setting the goal of coming to power in Telangana in next elections, Owaisi said the state under the leadership of Chandrashekhar Rao was making all-round progress and it believed in the composite culture. “RSS and BJP leaders will not succeed in their efforts,” he said.

Stating that Muslims are shareholders and not tenants in India, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said their fight to get the rights guaranteed by the country’s Constitution will continue.

The Hyderabad MP also said there was no need for Muslims to be scared over BJP retaining power at the Centre with over 300 seats in Lok Sabha.

Owaisi was addressing ‘Jalsa Youmul Quran’ at the historic Mecca Masjid here on the occasion of ‘Jumatul Vida’ or last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said winning over 300 seats did not mean Prime Minister Narendra Modi can do whatever he likes or snatch the Constitutional rights of the minorities.

“Muslims are hissedaar (shareholder) and not kirayedaar (tenants) in India. They are equal citizens of this country and they can’t be denied the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution,” he said.

Owaisi, who was re-elected from Hyderabad for a fourth consecutive term, said his party would continue to fight for the due share and rights of Muslims, Dalits and other oppressed people.

Stressing the need for unity among Muslims and the need to carry Dalits along, Owaisi pointed out that by joining hands with his “elder brother” Prakash Ambedkar in Maharashtra, the AIMIM won the Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat.

Owaisi said Muslims need not get scared by the victory of BJP as the Constitution of India remained supreme and it makes no difference who was in power.

The AIMIM leader said the series of incidents of beating up of Muslims in the name of cow or wearing skull cap during last few were aimed to creating fear among Muslims. He said that history shows Muslims never gave up their belief and identity even in the face of worst excesses.

“Bring it. Who is stopping you and your government?” This is how MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday reacted to RSS Mohan Bahgwat’s demand for a law to build a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya.

The Hyderabad MP said that Bhagwat’s statement was a clear example of a nation converted into totalitarianism.

“The RSS and BJP believe in totalitarianism. They do not believe in pluralism or in rule of law,” Owaisi told reporters here.

Addressing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers during the annual “Vijayadashmi Utsav” in Nagpur, Bhagwat said the government should bring a legislation to build a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief said the RSS chief was ignorant of law as the Supreme Court in Ismail Farooqi judgment made it clear that the government cannot make a law for a particular religion as this was against basic structure of the Constitution and violates Article 14.

“This government and RSS are symbols of totalitarianism. They are ignorant of law. They want to do whatever they like,” said the MP.

On Bhagwat’s assertion that some fundamentalist elements were trying to obstruct the temple construction, Owaisi said fascists and people who believe in totalitarianism ideology believe they are paragon of virtue and rest are anti-nationals.

“This is not new. We have been seeing this since the times when Nazis were ruling Germany and Mussolini was in power in Italy. Wherever there are totalitarian regimes, they call themselves paragon of virtue and consider others anti-national,” he said.

On reports that the RSS planned to campaign for the BJP in 2019 elections, Owaisi said the RSS had always been helping the BJP and that the whole country knows that RSS was the main face of the BJP.

“The Prime Minister of our country himself is Sweyamsevak. RSS keeps forgetting they can’t dabble in politics because one of the conditions for withdrawal of the ban on them was that they will not participate in politics but they have been doing it,” he added.