Owaisi moves Supreme Court on SIR, seeks anti-BJP alliance in Uttar Pradesh

AIMIM has challenged the SIR process in the Supreme Court while pursuing an opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Owaisi says both efforts are crucial to protect voting rights and prevent another BJP government.

In Short

• Party's app assisted voters across four states during the enumeration process
• He criticised Congress for selectively seeking AIMIM support in Telangana
• Owaisi firmly rejected foreign influence over India's satellite communication policy

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said his party had filed a petition and a review petition in the Supreme Court over the SIR process, questioning whether the Election Commission's decisions were unanimous and whether statutory forms had been changed.

Owaisi also said AIMIM was pursuing alliances ahead of next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections to prevent the BJP from returning to power for a third term. He also spoke about protests against SIR, Starlink's satellite communication services and the removal of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.

Owaisi said the Election Commission was required by law to work collectively, but it was not known whether its decisions were unanimous or whether any member had dissented.

"We filed the review petition also because the Supreme Court upheld SIR. We were petitioners in the Bihar SIR case. It is not understood whether the statutory form for enumeration has been changed. We don't have any material. We filed a detailed petition in the Supreme Court," he told reporters.

He said no other party in Telangana had matched AIMIM's efforts during the SIR process over the past three months. The party had developed an app to help people across religions during the process in Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi and three districts of Uttarakhand, he said.

"Why could other political parties not do similar work?" he asked. "Though the AIMIM feels that the SIR was wrong, the process got a verdict in its favour in the Supreme Court. What are the options we are left with? Now, we have filed a review petition."

On the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Owaisi said talks on an alliance were continuing. He had earlier set an October 2 deadline for opposition parties in the state to reach an agreement.

"We are saying that if you, Samajwadi Party and others, want to prevent Yogi Adityanath from becoming chief minister for a third time, something we also do not want, let us talk. We will form an alliance. Even today, we are making efforts to forge an alliance to ensure that the BJP does not form the government for a third time," he said.

Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the opposition should be ready for a "crushing defeat" in 2029, Owaisi said AIMIM's consistent goal was to defeat the BJP and that other parties had to decide their own course of action.

He said Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had campaigned against him in Hyderabad. "Despite this, AIMIM continues to work towards stopping the BJP in 2029," he said.

Defending AIMIM's opposition to SIR, Owaisi said no party had exclusive rights over the issue. "Am I a band baja party that I will come and stand after you tell me? I should hit the streets, but I cannot sit in front of you and talk," he said, referring to Congress and other parties not engaging with AIMIM over the Uttar Pradesh polls.

Owaisi said AIMIM had opposed SIR from the beginning and had approached the Supreme Court over the process in Bihar. The party had been working against SIR through legal, political and public action, he said.

Expressing disappointment with Congress, Owaisi referred to the party seeking AIMIM's support in the Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll in Telangana. He asked whether AIMIM was acceptable for the bypoll but not in Delhi. "Don't know what will happen in Khairatabad," he said.

A bypoll is to be held for the Khairatabad Assembly seat in Hyderabad after the sitting BRS MLA was disqualified for defecting to Congress. "If you are making it an elite club, protests against SIR, congratulations to you. We will do our work. We will continue to protest. But understand that no one can be a contractor of any issue," Owaisi said.

Owaisi also criticised US billionaire Elon Musk over his stance on Starlink's satellite communication services in India and asked why the BJP was "scared" of white people. "Elon Musk is terming someone as Prime Minister of India. BJP people should open their mouths. The country will decide how the country's resources would be used. Is the white-skinned going to dictate to us?" he asked. He added that data charges in India were the lowest in the world and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should show his "56 ft chest" and say, "Nothing doing, bye-bye," to Musk.

Asked about Jantar Mantar being removed as a designated protest site, Owaisi questioned why the government was against protests. He said protests should be allowed as long as there was no violence. He also said the arrest of CJP leaders was unnecessary and that they could have been granted bail at the police station or served a notice. The leaders were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly violating their peace bonds and entering Jantar Mantar after it had been removed as a protest area.

Owaisi said AIMIM would continue its legal and political challenge to SIR, seek an opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh against the BJP and support peaceful protests.

- Ends