New Delhi, April 24: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticised the Central government’s reported plan to invite only select political parties to the proposed All-Party Meeting over the recent Pahalgam incident, questioning the rationale behind excluding parties with fewer Members of Parliament.
Taking to Facebook, Owaisi revealed a conversation he had with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, in which Rijiju allegedly stated that parties with fewer than “5 or 10 MPs” may not be invited to the meeting as “it would get too long.” The AIMIM chief, who represents Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha, called the approach undemocratic and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure inclusivity.
“This is not a BJP or any other party’s internal meeting,” Owaisi wrote. “It is an All-Party Meeting to send a strong and united message against terrorism and those countries that harbour terrorists.”
Owaisi further questioned whether the Prime Minister could not spare “an extra hour” to hear the concerns of smaller parties. “Your own party does not have a majority. Whether it is a party with 1 MP or 100, they were both elected by Indians and deserve to be heard,” he wrote.
Calling the Pahalgam violence a national issue, Owaisi said, “Everyone must be heard. I urge Narendra Modi to make this a real ALL Party Meeting. Every party with an MP in Parliament must be invited.”
The remarks come amid heightened tensions following the recent militant-linked violence in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of several tourists and triggered a wave of political reactions across the country.
Owaisi’s statement is likely to resonate with several smaller political outfits who often find themselves sidelined during high-level consultations on national security and policy matters.
Source: Facebook / AIMIM Official Page
