Owaisi Targets RSS and BJP Over Manusmriti, Defends Ambedkar’s Constitution

Hyderabad, August 26, 2026; AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of having historically opposed the Constitution and questioned their position on Manusmriti.

Speaking at a Jalsa-e-Rahmatul-lil-Alameen at Darussalam during the observance of the 1501st Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Owaisi referred to the adoption of the Indian Constitution in November 1949 and alleged that an RSS publication had criticised the document shortly afterwards.

Owaisi said the Constitution prepared under the leadership of Dr BR Ambedkar represented the framework adopted by the country, while claiming that sections associated with the RSS had instead favoured Manusmriti.

The AIMIM chief also brought V.D. Savarkar and the history of India‘s freedom struggle into his remarks. He contrasted Savarkar’s correspondence with British authorities during his imprisonment in the Andaman Islands with the resistance of Muslim freedom fighters, including Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi.

Referring to the history of the Cellular Jail, Owaisi also highlighted Maulvi Alauddin, whom he described as the first prisoner from Hyderabad to be sent to the Andaman Islands.

His remarks come amid a wider political confrontation over Manusmriti, particularly following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi‘s recent criticism of a passage from the ancient text concerning women’s independence.

Addressing female students at an event in Pune, Gandhi had cited the passage and condemned its patriarchal interpretation, arguing that India must challenge structures that restrict women’s equality and independence.

The exchange has added another layer to the ongoing political debate between the BJP and Congress over constitutional values, social traditions and interpretations of India’s civilisational history.