Owaisi demands action against YouTubers targeting vendor at Medaram Jatara

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday (February 14, 2026) night demanded action against a group of YouTubers who allegedly targeted a kova bun vendor at the Medaram jatara, describing the episode as an affront to the rule of law and an attempt to create trouble under the guise of “food jihad”.

Street vendor draws widespread support after harassment by YouTubers

Speaking at the 68th Revival Day celebrations of the AIMIM at Darussalam , Mr. Owaisi, flanked by leaders from Maharashtra, Bihar and Telangana, demanded the Telangana Police book cases against those who harassed the vendor. “Maintaining law and order is the duty of the police. What tamasha is this?” he asked, terming the YouTubers “enemies of the country” and strongly condemned the incident attacking “communal forces”, Mr. Owaisi said those who stand up for their constitutional rights are branded enemies. “Those who hold Baba Saheb’s (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s) Constitution close to their heart are seen as enemies. Adivasis who say they are attached to their land, unemployed youth, farmers, bearded men, skull-cap-wearing men and hijabi women are all portrayed as enemies. But this perceived enemy is the true patriot,” he said.

Speaking of pluralism, he said the country’s founding leaders had envisioned an inclusive India. “But now efforts are underway to impose one ideology on the country. They are against Bharat’s inclusivity, pluralism and diversity,” he said, adding that such efforts run contrary to the Preamble of the Constitution.

Targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP, he alleged that they seek to impose a singular ideological and reject constitutional values in favour of the Manusmriti. Referring to the Vande Mataram controversy, he accused them of appropriating history while failing to acknowledge those who fought colonial rule in Hyderabad.

Citing Maulvi Allauddin of Mecca Masjid, who he said led a protest to the British Residency, and Turrabaz Khan, who launched an attack on the Residency, Mr. Owaisi challenged the RSS to name a single member who was martyred in that struggle.

Touching upon the recent controversy on Tipu Sultan, he noted that while Tipu Sultan was a king and not a democrat, his image features in illustrations of the Constitution, which bears the signatures of leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Ambedkar. “All kings are concerned about power,” he said, adding that historical figures must not be selectively portrayed to spread hatred. He said that Tipu Sultan’s name finds mention in Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s book. “The BJP presents history in such a manner as to foment hate,” he alleged.

On the upcoming SIR exercise, Mr. Owaisi appealed to the people of Telangana to ensure that all genuine names are included. He alleged that the BJP sought to remove citizenship rights not through the NRC or NPR, but by means of the SIR. Announcing that the party would contest elections in Uttar Pradesh, Asaduddin Owaisi emphasised that Muslims and Dalits require independent political leadership to safeguard their rights.

AIMIM floor leader and Chandrayangutta legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi spoke at length about the party’s revival in 1958, tracing its journey under the leadership of Abdul Wahed Owaisi and later Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi. He recalled how the party was reorganised and strengthened in the post-Operation Polo, eventually emerging as a significant political force in Hyderabad and beyond.