Recently, Asaduddin Owaisi escaped an assassination attempt. While the failed attempt is still under investigation by police, prima facie it looks like Owaisi used a hitman to gain sympathy from the general public for the UP assembly elections.
Attack on Owaisi
On Thursday, 3rd February 2022, Asaduddin Owaisi was returning to Delhi after finishing his election campaigning in Kithaur, Meerut. When his convoy was passing through Chhijarsi toll plaza, suddenly, a few people fired shots at Owaisi’s vehicle. According to a report by ThePrint, assassins fired a total of four rounds at Owaisi. Later, they fled from the crime scene, leaving behind their arms.
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Owaisi himself took to Twitter to inform people about firing. Sharing a photo of bullet shots on his vehicle, Owaisi wrote, “Some time ago my car was fired at Chhijarsi toll gate. 4 rounds fired. There were 3-4 people, all of them ran away and left the weapons there. My car got punctured, but I got out in another car and left. We are all safe. Alhamdu’lilah”
कुछ देर पहले छिजारसी टोल गेट पर मेरी गाड़ी पर गोलियाँ चलाई गयी। 4 राउंड फ़ायर हुए। 3-4 लोग थे, सब के सब भाग गए और हथियार वहीं छोड़ गए। मेरी गाड़ी पंक्चर हो गयी, लेकिन मैं दूसरी गाड़ी में बैठ कर वहाँ से निकल गया। हम सब महफ़ूज़ हैं। अलहमदु’लिलाह। pic.twitter.com/Q55qJbYRih
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 3, 2022
2 arrested but questions loom large
Meanwhile, 2 people have been arrested for allegedly firing at Owaisi’s vehicle. One of them is Sachin, a resident of Noida, while the other is Shubham, a farmer from Saharanpur. Allegedly, both of them were not happy with Owaisi’s method of politics.
However, the way in which the assassination attempt took place raises suspicion about the incident.
Bullet Shots at the bottom of the vehicle
The picture of his car shown by Owaisi has two bullet shots at the vertically lowest point of the car. The attempt and aftermaths just don’t add up.
The Assailants missed their mark. We are no experts, but when an assassin aims to take down a target, he aims for critical parts of the body, i.e., the upper torso. Now, the bullet holes in the vehicle suggest the assassins did not aim for his upper body.
Arms were left at the crime scene
Assassins knew that Owaisi is one of the most high-profile leaders covered in national media. Any untoward incident towards him would be subject to deep and thorough investigation. It is also well-known that fingerprints are part of modern-day investigations.
Knowing all this, it seems to be foolish on assassins’ part to leave their guns behind. There is 100 percent chance that their fingerprints on guns will be matched to a plethora of biometrics data available at investigators’ disposal. You have to be a fool to not run away with guns. Frankly, it seems deliberate on the part of assassins.
Owaisi can’t win UP
UP elections are one of the most important state elections in India. Being victorious in UP is the shortest but steepest ladder to national politics. Most of the C-voter surveys indicate a clear victory for BJP. CM Yogi‘s all-around efforts have brought in many positives for the people of the state. The reduced crime rate, livelihood opportunities in the wake of increasing investments are some of the key daily life changes UP residents are witnessing. Add to that, the revival of Mandirs in the state.
Read more: ‘No socialism, no communism. Only Ram Rajya,’ CM Yogi Adityanath’s election-winning statement
Victim card on display
Owaisi knows that he stands no chance of winning in UP elections. For him, the only way to get votes is by portraying himself as a victim.
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You see, right from India’s independence, electoral politics around Muslims has been focused on presenting them as perennial victims. While showcasing them as victims, politicians have gained massive votes by portraying themselves as someone who will lift Muslims from an imaginary political drainage.
Owaisi has also done the same at many levels. However, now it’s tough for Owaisi to become a messiah of Muslims since he himself is believed to have been weakened. So, the only viable option is playing the victim card.
Everyone knows that Owaisi is one of the most powerful representatives of Muslims. So, if they are able to portray that the most powerful Muslim representative is a victim, then every other Muslim can be portrayed as the same. You see, how the victim card works and Owaisi is the master of it?
Lol decades old cheap idea right before elections to gain sympathy and public know who hired. These dramas won’t fetch votes.
Even if that is true and there is good chance that it could be the case, it is advantageous for BJP because Owaisi’s community almost never votes for BJP and any vote extracted by Owaisi will be a steal from SP and hence good for BJP. May be Owaisi went one step further than Kejriwal who got hid face blackened deliberately.