A sharp exchange unfolded on social media between AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju over the issue of minorities and migration in India. The debate began after Rijiju posed a question on X (formerly Twitter), asking why minorities from neighboring countries prefer to come to India, while Indian minorities “don’t migrate.”
Rijiju had tweeted:
“How come minorities from our neighbouring countries prefer to come to India & our minorities don’t migrate? Prime Minister @narendramodi ji’s welfare schemes are for all. The schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs…”
In a pointed response, Owaisi accused the minister of misrepresenting the ground realities faced by minorities in India.
“According to Hon’ble Minister Against Minorities, if we don’t migrate it means we are happy. Actually, we are not in the habit of fleeing: we did not run away from the British, we did not run away during partition, and we did not run away because of Jammu, Nellie, Gujarat, Moradabad, Delhi etc massacres,” he wrote on X.
Owaisi further added:
“Our history is proof that we neither collaborate with our oppressors nor do we hide from them. We know how to fight for our democratic rights and we will, inshallah. Stop comparing our great nation with failed states like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal & Sri Lanka. Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan! Thank you for your attention in this matter!”
The exchange has triggered discussions online, with many highlighting the long-standing debate around the treatment of minorities in India and the implications of comparing domestic minorities with those in neighboring countries.
Owaisi’s remarks also referenced historical communal violence and institutional injustices, pointing to a larger narrative of resistance and constitutional rights over flight or silence. His statement is being interpreted as a broader critique of the government’s attitude toward dissenting voices from minority communities.
Political observers say the debate reflects the growing polarization around identity and citizenship in the country. Both leaders have stood firm in their positions, and neither has issued further clarification at the time of writing.
