Bahadurgunj: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi launched a sharp political message ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections, declaring that while every community in the state has a leader, Muslims, who form nearly 19% of Bihar’s population, do not.
His remarks coincided with the Punjab BJP’s demand for a review of the national minority status granted to Muslims, reigniting the debate over representation and constitutional privilege.
Have a look at his entire statement here:
Owaisi's Pitch to Bihar's Muslims
Speaking in the poll-bound state, Owaisi said, “Yadav, Paswan, Thakur - every community has its own leader, but the 19% Muslims in Bihar have no leader.” According to the 2022 Bihar caste survey, Muslims account for 17.7 per cent of the state’s total population of about 13 crore.
Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had made a surprise breakthrough in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, winning five seats in the Seemanchal region before four of its MLAs later defected to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The Hyderabad MP said his party was open to joining the Opposition alliance led by the RJD and Congress but received no response.
He also argued that Muslim representation in Parliament was disproportionately low. “If there were more than 50 Muslim MPs, could PM Modi have brought the Waqf (Amendment) Act?” he asked. Owaisi accused RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav of “buying” four AIMIM MLAs and said his party had proposed an alliance with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan on modest terms, six seats and a written assurance for a Seemanchal Development Council, without demanding ministerial berths.
Punjab BJP Calls for Review of Muslim Minority Status
In Punjab, BJP spokesperson Sarchand Singh Khiala urged the Centre to revoke Muslims’ national minority status, citing demographic and political influence. “The Muslim community no longer fits the category of a ‘minority,’ as its population now exceeds 200 million, nearly 16–17% of India’s total population,” Khiala said on Saturday, October 4.
He argued that minority recognition should be determined state-wise rather than nationally and said reservations based on economic criteria were justified. Khiala referenced government data showing the Muslim share of India’s population had risen from 9.84% in 1950 to over 14% by 2015.
Khiala contended that Muslims held decisive political sway in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Jammu & Kashmir, and urged the government to focus protections on what he described as “real minorities”, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis.
