Samajwadi Party Using Owaisi to Polarise Minorities: UP Minister

New Delhi: Describing Asaduddin Owaisi as the SP's "B team," Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma accused the AIMIM chief of functioning as an electoral agent for the SP and BSP on Monday.

Sharma told reporters following a review meeting on the operation of BJP-ruled states at the party headquarters here that the SP used to polarise minorities by "instigating" them in the past, but that this time they will utilise Owaisi.

Sharma went on to say that Owaisi is attempting to polarise society by saying remarks like "who will save you after Modi? Yogi will not be there", but that the opposition parties should be aware that taking on the BJP would take years.

Taking a jab at Akhilesh Yadav's statement that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister is "useless," Sharma said that the Yogi government is "useless" for the mafia, the corrupt, those who occupy houses and those who insult women, but it is "useful" for the common and poor people because of the way it has worked for them.

Responding to a question on anger in the Brahmin community, Sharma said, "Brahmin is not a caste but a ritual; it is a name for the method of leading a noble life. The opposition parties have misunderstood Brahmins."

He said that the BJP had support from all sections of society in Uttar Pradesh, including Brahmins, Dalits, and OBCs.

Also Read: Will Owaisi Emerge as Kingmaker After UP Elections?

Sharma praised the Yogi government's "achievements," saying that the state, which was formerly renowned for illicit firearms and "kattas," will soon produce automatic rifles and BrahMos missiles. He went on to say that Uttar Pradesh has evolved into a "state for industry, not crime."

Sharma added that some "disguised Ram devotees are practising to ring the bell and read the Hanuman Chalisa" because of Narendra Modi, but that "the people of the state are with the BJP, and the BJP is going to break its previous record in 2022."