Gujarat assembly polls: Owaisi gets emotional over Bilkis Bano case

Bilkis Bano recently moved the Supreme Court against premature release of 11 men, sentenced to life in 2008 for her gang-rape and murder of seven family members.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi got emotional talking about Bilkis Bano while campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat. Bilkis Bano recently moved the Supreme Court against premature release of 11 men, sentenced to life in 2008 for her gang-rape and murder of seven family members.

President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMM) Asaduddin Owaisi gestures at a rally in Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad, ahead of Gujarat assembly elections.(AFP)

“We are humans after all and are prone to get emotional. While I was talking about Bilkis Bano, thoughts of my own sister and daughter crossed to my mind,” Owaisi told news agency ANI.

"She was pregnant when she was raped and her mother and daughter were also killed. However, even after 20 years, she is still fighting for justice. If someone doesn't feel the pain, he is not worthy of being called human."

When asked about the reason behind the renewed traction about 2002 Gujarat riots and the Bilkis Bano case during the Assembly elections campaign, Owaisi said, “The BJP will never forget 2002. PM Modi was the chief minister at the time. He failed to save Bilkis Bano, Ehsaan Jafri, and those killed in the bakery. Around 50,000 people in the state were forced to become refugees. I, too, went there with a medical team. So, if PM Modi is invoking all that had happened then, congratulations to him.”

AIMIM fielded candidates in 14 Assembly seats but its candidates withdrew from Bapunagar seat.

Talking about his party's prospects in the polls, the AIMIM chief said, "We are fighting for 13 seats in Vidhan Sabha and our focus is on winning them. We have worked very hard, visited every locality and have got a great response from the public. I hope that this support turns into votes and our candidates become MLAs."

The second and final phase of Gujarat assembly election 2022 will be held on Monday and the results will be declared on December 8.