Asaduddin Owaisi, the AIMIM chief has demanded that after lifting of total lockdown some economic activity should be allowed and transport arrangements should be made for migrant workers who want to go home.
The Hyderabad MP suggested that even after the lifting of the lockdown the government may continue to keep places of worship, cinema halls shut and continue ban on the public gatherings.
In his address on the eve of Ramadan, Owaisi appealed to Muslims to offer all prayers during the holy month at home in view of the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. He urged them to avoid congregational prayers even at homes.
He appealed to the Muslims to ensure that nobody goes hungry during the holy month. “Feeding the hungry is the biggest virtue,” he said.
He urged the Muslims to spend as much as possible on poor and the destitute through ‘zakat’ and charity. He said that the Islam and holy Quran lay greater emphasis on feeding the poor, orphans and hungry.
Owaisi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed lockdown without planning, causing great distress to the poor and migrant labourers. He said the poor were suffering a lot due to ‘unplanned and reactionary’ lockdown.
Stating that 10 crore people may lose jobs due to the crisis, he wanted the Prime Minister to specify his plan to tackle this problem.
He said the Centre failed to come to the rescue of migrant workers. He said those who have no ration cards or bank accounts were deprived of the aid.
He wanted to know when migrant workers from Varanasi could be sent to their homes, why can’t the Centre send migrant workers from other cities and states to their respective villages.
He quoted a survey that 90 per cent migrants did not get government ration while 90 per cent of people were not paid salaries
He said huge rice stocks in the warehouses of Food Corporation of India (FCI) should be distributed among the poor and migrant labourers. He criticized the government for its plans to use the rice for making sanitisers.
The MP said all those who recovered from Covid-19 should donate blood to the Red Cross as the plasma therapy can help save lives of those infected.
Owaisi said it was unfortunate that even during the current crisis hatred was being spread against the Muslims in the country. “You can make a drug for virus but not for hatred. This hatred will weaken the country,” he said.
Owaisi said the Prime Minister was correct when he said the virus does not see religion but it was his own minister who stated that Tabilighi Jamaat is Talibani.
Referring to the killing of three sants in the mob violence in Palghar in Mahrashtra, he said immediately after the incident BJP spokesman blamed Muslims. However, there was not a single Muslim in the list of 100 accused released by the Maharashtra government
Owaisi said if action was taken in cases of lynching of Akhlaq, Pehlu Khan, Aleemuddin Ansari and Tabrez, Palghar would not have happened.
