HYDERABAD:  Once again in a controversial address, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday insisted that to remain secularism alive in India, Muslims need to unite and vote for candidates from their own community.

“Qasim's death will make us think. But I am not asking you to shed tears. I beckon your conscience to rise. These people talking about secularism are the biggest dacoits ... biggest opportunists. They used Muslims for 70 years, threatened us, forced us to keep quiet,” the lawmaker who keep saying always controversial comments from Hyderabad said.

“Now you need to fight for your rights. If you want secularism to stay alive, then fight for yourself.  Become a political force to reckon with. Make sure your (Muslim) contenders win,” he added.

Openly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi referred to recent Hapur lynching incident, Owaisi said, “They used abusive language…throwing expletives at him…and how many arrests were made? Only two.” 

“It is happening under your rule…is this your idea of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” Owaisi attacked.

In Hapur, Muslim cattle trader Qasim (38) was string up, while 65 year old Shamiuddin was poorly thrashed by a fuming crowd allegedly on the suspicion of cow butchering in Bajhera Khurd village of Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh.

A video of the occurrence, showing the men in a pool of blood, has rounded on social media, forcing the police to make apologies for the incident.

On Monday, Owaisi had said that both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were desired for the Hindu vote bank. He added that the Muslims had always been misleader by saying 'you have a vote-bank'.