On Monday, AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi caused controversy with some statements that he made during a speech recently. He said in a speech that Muslims don't need ‘sympathy’, and that his brother (Asaduddin Owaisi) could with the help of ‘his brothers’ increase their presence in parliament.

He was quoted saying by India TV: “The laws that destroy Muslims are not made on roads, marketplaces or grounds but in Parliament, Assemblies and municipalities.If Muslims want and if they all come together then we will not need anybody’s mercy or help or actions. Our brother himself with his vote can win India’s 50 Parliament seats.”

His statement comes in the light of several instances of lynching and passing of stringent anti-cow slaughter laws in various state assemblies. Akbaruddin has made news in the past for making loaded statements and had spent 40 days in jail in 2013 when a case of hate speech was lodged against him.

Meanwhile, Asaduddin Owaisi put up a cryptic tweet mocking the outrage and particularly prime-time anchors.

For my Nationalist friends of 8 to 10pm Main ek Jaam hoon kis kis ke hout Tak pahunchu Ghazab ki Pyaas liye har ek bashaar lage hain mujhe — Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 3, 2017

A day ago, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi accused the BJP of reverting to its "original agenda" by raising issues like Ram temple and cow protection as it had failed to deliver on its poll promises of economic revival and job creation.

The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad also said that a law banning cow slaughter across the country, as mooted by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, cannot be formulated as the matter was a state subject. "All this cow, Ram Mandir (issues) are part and parcel of the BJP (agenda). Basically, the aim and objective is to make India a 'Hindu Rashtra'," Owaisi alleged. "The BJP has completely failed to provide jobs... (They had) promised creation of two crore jobs a year. They have failed to revive the economy.

"You have seen lot of ceasefire violations (by Pakistan). These are the core issues where the BJP has failed to deliver. So they have reverted back to their original agenda," Owaisi alleged.

While the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has reportedly started stock-piling stones for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj recently said the date of construction would be finalised at a religious congregation scheduled in November in Karnataka.

To a question regarding a recent proposal to set up 'cow sanctuaries' and initiating a 'Project Cow' on the lines on 'Project Tiger', Owaisi said India has 550 million farm animals but there was only 40 per cent fodder for them."So where and how is the (remaining) 60 per cent going to be created? Are you going to create forests," he asked.

"Urbanisation is the phenomena all over the world. We have only 40 per cent fodder for 550 million farm animals.Where are you going to get the fodder from? Are you going to import it?

"We have high malnutrition among children. We are not able to provide nutrition to our children. More than 40 per cent of the children have stunted growth," Owaisi said.

When asked about Swamy's recent statement that the government will bring in a law banning cow slaughter across the country, Owaisi said constitutionally, it cannot be done because the matter is a state subject.

With agency inputs