Owaisi greeted with 'Modi Modi' chants, shown black flags

SURAT: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi's was greeted with "Modi-Modi" chants and was shown black flags as he was campaigning on Saturday night for his party candidate from the East Surat constituency in the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.

As Owaisi was busy campaigning for his party candidate, a group of BJP supporters holding black flags in their hands reached there and started shouting "Modi-Modi".

In videos that went viral on social media, the youths could be seen waving black flags as a mark of protest against the AIMIM chief in the city.

Owaisi, however, ignored the protest and appealed to people to support his party in the upcoming assembly elections during the rally.

"They (ruling BJP) said that they will bring the Uniform Civil Code. Why? Because they want to end the culture tahazeeb of minorities," the AIMIM chief said while addressing the public rally.

He said, "I want to ask BJP about the uniform civil code. If they (BJP) plan to bring the uniform civil code, then why don't they end disturbed (ashanti) areas".

Owaisi also criticized the ruling BJP government in the state and accused it of being anti-minorities. "They will never ensure the development of areas with the minority population," he alleged.

The AIMIM chief is scheduled to address another public rally in Gujarat this evening.

As many as 182 assembly seats of Gujarat will to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

BJP is in power in the state for the last 27 years, and Gujarat is considered a BJP bastion. Both BJP and Congress have started declaring the names of their candidates.