India will one day have hijab-clad woman as PM, says Owaisi; BJP slams his ‘irresponsible’ remark

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said a hijab-clad woman would one day become India’s Prime Minister as the country’s Constitution accords equal status to people from all communities unlike that of Pakistan, which restricts top constitutional posts to a single community.

His remark drew a sharp reaction from the ruling BJP, which said that through his “irresponsible” statement, the Hyderabad MP was presenting half-truth as Muslim women don’t want to wear hijab.

Addressing a public meeting on Friday (January 9) in Maharashtra’s Solapur ahead of the January 15 civic polls, Mr. Owaisi said, “India’s Constitution accords equal status to people of all communities, unlike Pakistan’s Constitution which restricts the country’s top constitutional posts to members of a single community.” He added that he may not be alive to see it, but the day would come in future when a woman wearing a hijab would become India’s Prime Minister.

Responding to it, BJP MP Anil Bonde said Mr. Owaisi was making irresponsible statements, and accused him of presenting half-truth.

Stating that women in Iran were protesting against the hijab, Mr. Bonde claimed that Muslim women did not want it as nobody wanted subjugation.

He also alleged that demographic imbalance was emerging in India and called for Hindu unity.