Owaisi retaliates to Mamata Banerjee's 'extremism' jibe, asks her to explain saffron surge

After the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, launched a veiled attack citing an “extremist” group from Hyderabad that belongs to a “minority community” and takes money from “BJP”, the chief of AIMIM party, Asaduddin Owaisi took the microblogging website Twitter and fired back, questioning Bengal's human development index indicators for minorities, and also questioning her on the saffron surge in the state.

"It's not religious extremism to say that Bengal's Muslims have one of the worst human development indicators of any minority," Owaisi says, evidently surmising that Banerjee's remarks were directed at him. He added, 'If Didi is worried about a bunch of us "from Hyderabad" then she should tell us how BJP won 18/42 Lok Sabha seats from Bengal'.

Read: Cryptic Mamata Banerjee says Hyderabad-based “extremist” from “minority” takes BJP money

Speaking to reporters on the same matter shortly after, Owaisi defended both of his points, saying that he was fighting for justice. "We are fighting for justice and if Mamata finds this to be extremism, I have nothing to say." He went on to cite the BJP's performance in the Lok Sabha elections and repeated his point on the HDI indicators of minorities in West Bengal. 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had made significant inroads into West Bengal, increasing its tally from just 2 seats to 18, after pitched and often unsavoury campaigning by both sides.

Read: Centre not providing funds that are due to Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

What Mamata Banerjee had said

Addressing a public event, Mamata Banerjee lashed out cryptically in Cooch Bihar and said "There is a political party.. just like there are some extremists in Hindus, same with minorities. They take money from BJP.  They stay in Hyderabad. They don't stay here. They come here and say 'I'll give you protection. Don't fall into this trap, my minority brothers.' Just like my Hindu brothers don't bow your heads in front of Hindu extremism”. 

Read: KIFF: Mamata Banerjee praises Shabana Azmi for her views on unity and diversity

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