Hyderabad: MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, criticising the Shiv Sena for demanding disenfranchising Muslims, asked, “Do they also believe that the Muslim doctor who treated their former leader should be disenfranchised?”

“Why hasn’t Shiv Sena protested against the release of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by Pakistan? Why is Shiv Sena not raising a voice against the deaths of lakhs of farmers in Marathwada? Neither is it protesting about the rights of lakhs of people who have been rendered jobless because of the beef ban in Maharashtra or about the impact on the leather industries of Dharavi and Kolhapur because of the ban,” Mr Owaisi said.

He said it would be better for the Shiv Sena to concentrate on the plight of farmers in Maharashtra rather than using expletives against him and the Majlis.

Reacting to a Samna editorial calling him and his brother poisonous snakes, Mr Owaisi said, “Let them call me whatever they want and use any kinds of expletives, but the issues I raised are important and need to be addressed. The Shiv Sena has a pathological hatred for us, but people do have questions which need answers,” he added.

Owaisi asked if the Shiv Sena was prepared to seek the ouster of the two Muslim ministers from the Modi Cabinet if all Muslims were to be disenfranchised.

Speaking to this newspaper, the MIM chief said, “If the Shiv Sena seriously believes that Muslims in the country must be disenfranchised, will they start with their ministers in the Union Cabinet, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Najma Heptulla?”