Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi shows his bar-at-law degree

Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday showed his bar-at-law degree from Lincoln's Inn, amid 'show your degree' a campaign by AAP to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his educational qualification.

The Hyderabad MP showed his degree at a news conference at party headquarters Darussalam, saying that after furnishing all the details in the election affidavit one should not have any problem in showing the degree. He, however, evaded answering questions if he was demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show his degrees.

Owaisi made it clear that his action has nothing to do with the Aam Admi Party (AAP) campaign. "I am not part of so-called opposition unity," he remarked.

"You may ask me tomorrow where is your degree so to pre-empt this I am showing my degree which I got in 1995," he said.

The MP said if somebody wants to see his degree they can e-mail Lincoln's Inn and get it.

When asked about Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar's statement that the Prime Minister's degrees are not a national issue and his remarks on the Adani issue, Owaisi said this question should be asked to the Congress.

"This is the problem of those who are in opposition. You stalled Parliament and made a strategy and now your main partner is saying something. Congress leaders should ask Sharad Pawar, especially the leader who lost his Lok Sabha membership," he said.

Owaisi lashed out at Congress party saying it has compromised on its ideology and joined the competition of who is the biggest leader of Hindutva.

"Where is idealism politics of Nehru in the Congress party? Where is the dream of freedom fighters, composite culture and diversity. All these have become a past," he said.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president pointed out that it was in Congress-ruled Chattisgarh that state-sponsored Dharam Sansad took place and where "a leader spoke rubbish against Muslims".

On violence in Bihar, Owaisi blamed the coalition government of Nitish Kumar and RJD for failing to check it.

"If it was pre-planned, were you sleeping," he asked on the reported statement by Bihar police that the violence was pre-planned.

The MP said after March 31, there was more violence on April 1.

He said police stood as silent spectators when madrasa was set afire.

"Still the Bihar government does not talk of paying compensation and suspending policemen who failed to act. Instead of doing this you are hosting Iftar parties and relishing dates," he remarked.

Owaisi said the violence against Muslims will not stop unless the BJP controls organisations which support it.

He said 50 hate rallies were held in Maharashtra where ministers spoke against Muslims. Though FIRs were registered, no action was taken, he added.