All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, October 19, called for greater political representation of young Muslims, saying his party wants to create opportunities for them to become leaders and raise issues affecting marginalised communities.
Addressing a public meeting in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Owaisi argued that Muslim youth have the talent to lead but are often denied the platform to do so. He said AIMIM was seeking to change this by bringing young men and women into leadership roles.
“We will not make any Nehru, Gandhi, or Yadav our leader. These young sons and daughters will stand at our forefront,” he said, adding that young Muslims had as much potential as people from other communities but lacked comparable opportunities.
Owaisi said AIMIM wanted young people to step forward, lead the country and seek justice for oppressed communities. He also accused political opponents of resisting the emergence of independent Muslim leadership.
“The trouble is that Abdul will not be allowed to become a leader,” he said.
The AIMIM chief also targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its president, Akhilesh Yadav, accusing the party of relying on Muslim votes for generations without ensuring adequate political representation or development for the community.
Citing Azamgarh, a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, Owaisi questioned what the party had delivered for the district despite its longstanding political influence. He referred to institutions established in Saifai, the Yadav family’s political stronghold, and asked why similar investments had not been made in Azamgarh.
He also questioned why Shibli College had not been granted university status, arguing that the district could have benefited from greater investment in education and other public institutions.
Owaisi said Muslims had supported the Samajwadi Party across generations, including during the tenures of its founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav, as chief minister. However, he questioned whether that political support had translated into tangible benefits for the community. The AIMIM chief said Muslim voters were increasingly questioning the returns on their electoral support and seeking a greater say in political decision-making.
“You are happy that Muslim youth raise slogans for you, saying, ‘Bhaiya, I sacrifice my life and my family for you.’ But what are they getting in return?” he asked.
He said the community’s political aspirations were shifting from supporting established leaders to building leadership of its own.
“Now, a new thought has emerged: Muslims want to stop creating leaders and instead become leaders themselves. We don’t want to lay out rugs; we want to talk about our share,” Owaisi said.
He described this shift as a significant political change that the Samajwadi Party had yet to recognise, warning that it would eventually have to reckon with the demand for greater Muslim representation. His remarks come as political parties prepare for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with questions of representation, electoral alliances and the Muslim vote likely to feature in the campaign.
This article was prepared with AI assistance and is based on information available in the public domain.
