All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday criticised former Congress President Rahul Gandhi for deserting his party when it is going through one of its worst phases, reported ANI. “When a ship sinks in the middle of a sea, the captain evacuates everyone safely but Gandhi is a captain who himself left after seeing the Congress sinking,” Owaisi said while campaigning in Bhiwandi in Thane district of poll-bound Maharashtra.

The AIMIM chief also chastised the Congress. “Muslims are not alive due to Congress’ mercy on us for 70 years, rather we are alive because of the Constitution and by the grace of God,” said Owaisi, according to Times Now.

Owaisi, however, said that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state was a long-lasting one. “The triple talaq law is against all the Muslim women,” he said. “The BJP is a long-lasting government which means that this darkness is going to last long.”

He demanded reservation for the Muslim community on the lines of that granted to Marathas. The Devendra Fadnavis-led government had approved 16% reservation for the Marathas in jobs and education in November last year following state-wide protests. However, in June, the Bombay High Court asked the state not to exceed the State Commission for Backward Classes recommendation of 12% in education and 13% in jobs.

Maharashtra will go to polls on October 21 and the votes will be counted on October 24. AIMIM will contest on 44 of the 288 seats in the state. In 2014, the AIMIM had contested 24 seats in the state Assembly elections with two MLAs winning from Aurangabad and Byculla.

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