oppn parties Owaisi Goes After Mamata Banerjee For Accusing Him Of "Minority Extremism"

Story Of The Day

Tiranga Rally Is Excellent. Breaking The Law Was Not

October 17, 2026

People Are Talking About

People Are Talking About Junk Food Near Schools

News Snippets

  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
oppn parties
Owaisi Goes After Mamata Banerjee For Accusing Him Of "Minority Extremism"

By Sunil Garodia

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has for long appropriated to herself the title of the messiah of the minorities, is at the receiving end of minority anger now, at least from that section which she targeted recently. At a meeting in Cooch Behar district of the state, Banerjee said that Muslims should not believe "minority extremists" who have their base in Hyderabad. It was a thinly-veiled attack on Asaduddin Owaisi and his party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul- Muslimeen (AIMIM), although Banerjee steered clear of naming anyone.

Owaisi was quick to respond. He asked Banerjee to stop minority appeasement and alleged that Muslims in her state were way behind the rest of the country on almost all social indicators. He accused Banerjee of using the minority vote bank for electoral gains without doing anything for them in return. He also accused the West Bengal chief minister of allowing the BJP to gain a foothold in the state through her wrong policy of vote bank politics. This was one of the strongest criticisms of Mamata Banerjee as far as her secular credentials are concerned.

But why is Banerjee piqued at Owaisi and his party? The reason is not far to seek. Owaisi was for long considered to be a fringe player in minority politics. But the educated and polished politician with excellent oratorical skills is making waves across the country now, with gains in Maharashtra and Bihar. Mamata is especially concerned as his party has won the Kishanganj assembly seat in Bihar as it borders West Bengal. She must have received feedback about AIMIM making inroads in the state too.

Her concern is not misplaced. With the Left parties vanquished and the Congress reduced to some pockets, Mamata Banerjee is banking almost entirely on the consolidation of the Muslim vote to help her stop the charge by the BJP in the state. That is why she and her party have been opposing the NRC tooth and nail. If the AIMIM manages to split even a small percentage of the Muslim vote, Mamata's TMC will be in big trouble. But her choice of words has perhaps landed her in trouble. Owaisi is not one to take such a sleigh lying down. It is now clear that he will exploit her remarks to make further inroads in the state. He will use the allegedly poor conditions in which the Muslims in the state live to tell them not to remain a vote bank for someone who does nothing for them. Even if West Bengal was not on his radar, it will surely be now.

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Growth Without Jobs Is a Warning

Growth Without Jobs Is a Warning

 Delhi Curbs: Has The Government Panicked?

Delhi Curbs: Has The Government Panicked?

In Depth

Grounds Of Arrest: The Supreme Court's Rule Must Be Followed By The Police On The Ground

Grounds Of Arrest: The Supreme Court's Rule Must Be Followed By The Police On The Ground

Editor's Pick

For the Goonj to Reverberate, Rahul Gandhi Must Take Regional Parties Along

For the Goonj to Reverberate, Rahul Gandhi Must Take Regional Parties Along
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.