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A new political controversy broke out on Monday when AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju had a spat over the rights and treatment of Muslims in India. The fiery battle began after Rijiju said in an interview that minorities in India are given “more benefits and protection than the majority community.” Later, Owaisi hit back with a rebuttal and said the government was treating Muslims as “hostages, not citizens.

What was Kiren Rijiju said?

Kiren Rijiju, earlier in an interview with The Indian Express, said that India is the lone nation where minorities are provided “more benefits and protections” than the majority Hindu community. Posting a video of the interview on X he said that “The Modi government has ensured Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas. Minorities get more money and care than Hindus.”

Rijiju also shaped his argument around welfare schemes run by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under Modi government and had hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He further added that the minority communities in India are active participants in the country’s development journey.

Asaduddin Owaisi Hit Back: Rijiju The “Minister Against Minorities”

Following this, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi wasted no time in hitting back. After calling Rijiju the “Minister Against Minorities,” he said, “You are a Minister of the Indian Republic, not a monarch. You hold a constitutional post, not a throne. Minority rights are fundamental rights, not charity”.

Asaduddin Owaisi also blamed the BJP government for relegating Muslims to the periphery and asserting that Indian Muslims are no longer accorded citizen status but treated as hostages within the country. Owaisi strongly denied that Muslims have privileges. He also cited examples of hate crimes, lynching, illegal destruction of homes and mosques, and everyday discrimination.

Heated arguments by Asaddin Owaisi and Kiren Rijiju.

He further questioned Is it a “benefit” to be called Pakistani, Bangladeshi, jihadi, or Rohingya every single day? Is it “protection” to be lynched? Is it protection that Indian citizens were kidnapped and pushed into Bangladesh?

Owaisi also criticized more about Modi government’s minority welfare and education policies. He further branded the Modi government for withdrawing the Maulana Azad National Fellowship and reducing other major scholarships like pre-matric, post-matric, and merit-cum-means schemes, claiming that they were disproportionately benefiting Muslim students.

“Can Muslims join Hindu Endowment Boards? No. But your Waqf Amendment Act puts non-Muslims on Waqf Boards and enables them to become a majority.” He said

According to Owaisi these actions, are the government’s deliberate tearing down of Muslim welfare and self-governance.

Kiren Rijiju mentioned about Minorities of neighboring countries

In back, Rijiju asked a counter-question: “How come minorities from our neighboring countries want to come to India & our minorities don’t migrate?”

Rijiju said that the presence of minorities in India is the main evidence  to prove that they are in a better position now under Modi’s leadership and governance. Rijiju praised and pointed out that programs under the Ministry of Minority Affairs benefit all communities, particularly minorities.

Not conceding an inch, Owaisi countered and said “According to Hon’ble Minister Against Minorities, if we don’t migrate it means we are happy. Actually, we are not in the habit of fleeing: we did not run away from the British, we did not run away during partition, and we did not run away because of Jammu, Nellie, Gujarat, Moradabad, Delhi etc massacres”.

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