‘You are bringing back same Indira Gandhi era,’ AIMIM chief slams PM Modi

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is bringing back the "Indira Gandhi era".

The Hyderabad MP made the claim while referring to the drawn-out judicial appointment process and expressing concern over constitutional office-holders commenting on the "basic structure" of the constitution.

Owaisi, who participated in the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the President's Address, also accused the government of not doing enough for minorities and expressed concern over the situation on the India-China border. “People in constitutional posts comment on the basic structure... The Law Minister commented on the collegium... When the NJAC (National Judicial Appointments Commission) Bill came, I was the only MP who said it would be against the basic structure of the constitution. Owaisi said. "You should learn a lesson from Indira Gandhi." Indira Gandhi said the judiciary should follow her, now PM Modi is saying the judiciary should be loyal to him…” “You are bringing back the same Indira Gandhi era,” he said.

The judiciary and the executive are at loggerheads over the process of appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts. Owaisi also accused the government of not doing enough for minorities, saying that the budget for minorities had been cut by 40 percent. "Minorities, who make up 19 percent of the population, were not even mentioned in the president's speech," he said. "The Narendra Modi government does not want Muslim children to study, it wants them to become victims of poverty," he said.

Owaisi also mentioned Bilkis Bano and said, "She has been fighting for 20 years but she was denied justice because her name is Bilkis Bano." Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, approached the Supreme Court against the pardoning of 11 convicts. Talking about the India-China border situation, the AIMIM MP alleged that the government was "scared of China".

“Would the Prime Minister accept the name China? It was said that out of 65 patrolling posts, India cannot patrol at 26 patrolling posts. You are afraid of China. There has been a disengagement. When will de-escalation and de-induction occur? he asked.