Solapur (Maharashtra): AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said he dreams of a future where a hijab-clad woman becomes the Prime Minister of India, invoking the secular ethos of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar. His remarks, made at a public rally in Solapur, sparked sharp reactions from leaders of the BJP and other parties.
Referring to constitutional values, Owaisi said that India’s Constitution guarantees equal opportunity to every citizen, irrespective of religion or gender. “Baba Sahib’s Constitution says any citizen of India can become Prime Minister, Chief Minister or mayor. It is my dream that a day will come when a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of this country,” he said, adding that while he may not live to see that day, he believes it will eventually arrive.
Drawing a comparison with Pakistan, Owaisi said that its Constitution restricts the post of Prime Minister to followers of a single religion, unlike India’s inclusive framework. He also alleged that hatred against Muslims was being deliberately spread and claimed that such politics would not last. According to him, when harmony becomes widespread, people will realise how their minds were “poisoned” by hate.
The remarks drew an immediate response from the BJP. Party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla challenged Owaisi to first appoint a Pasmanda Muslim or a hijab-clad woman as the president of his own party. In a post on X, Poonawalla said the Constitution does not prevent anyone from becoming Prime Minister, but questioned Owaisi’s commitment to internal representation within AIMIM.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also weighed in, stating that while the Constitution allows any citizen to become Prime Minister, India is rooted in Hindu civilisation. He said he believed the Prime Minister of India would always be a Hindu, even though there is no constitutional bar.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC dismissed Owaisi’s remarks, saying there was “no vacancy” for the Prime Minister’s post. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity was well established and advised Owaisi to focus first on winning more parliamentary seats. Shaina added that while a woman Prime Minister could be supported in the future, leadership should be based on merit and popular mandate, not identity.
During the same rally, Owaisi also attacked the Congress, accusing it of strengthening stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He blamed amendments introduced when P Chidambaram was Union Home Minister for the prolonged incarceration of undertrials, including activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
