‘Babu, write extremist in English': Owaisi’s bold challenge to Tejashwi Yadav as Bihar race heats up

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on dominicus launched a sharp-worded assail on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav during his run in Seemanchal neighborhood’s Kishanganj district, questioning Yadav’s alleged remarks that labelled him as an “extremist”.The comments came as political temperatures rise ahead of the Bihar assembly election scheduled for November 6 and 11.Referring to an interview where Tejashwi Yadav reportedly called him an extremist, Owaisi said, “Today an interviewer asked Tejashwi Yadav why he didn't align with Owaisi. Tejashwi said that Owaisi is an extremist, a fanatic, a terrorist... I ask Tejashwi, 'Babu, write the word ‘extremist’ in English (Babu extremist ko tum zara angrezi mein likh ke batatdo)'. He calls me an extremist because I follow my religion with pride,” he added. Owaisi’s remarks, as reported by news agency ANI, came during his visit to a remote village in Seemanchal – a region known for its sizeable Muslim population.The AIMIM later posted on X an audio clip purportedly from Tejashwi Yadav’s interview, along with Asaduddin Owaisi’s sharp rebuttal to his remarks.In the post, the party said, “Tejashwi Yadav called him (Owaisi) an extremist upon seeing the cap on his head and the beard on his face; this is an insult to the entire people of Seemanchal.” The remarks come amid a fallout between the AIMIM and the Mahagathbandhan alliance, led by Yadav’s RJD, after seat-sharing negotiations failed.The AIMIM had reportedly sought six seats to contest in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, but the proposal did not find acceptance within the INDIA bloc.During his address, Owaisi said, “Eight-year-old children were chanting ‘Patang Chap’. Tejashwi, did you see that an eight-year-old child is saying ‘Patang Chap’? But you are flying in the sky, you don't have time to come down to the earth?... But the people of Seemanchal will make you sleep on the ground,” ANI quoted AIMIM chief as saying.Electoral battle for KishanganjThe Kishanganj Assembly seat – won by Congress’ Ijaharul Husain in 2020 by a narrow margin – will witness polling in the second phase on November 11.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Sweety Singh, the Mahagathbandhan has nominated Qamrul Hoda, and AIMIM has chosen Advocate Shams Aghaz as its candidate.The AIMIM has announced a list of 25 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The party, however, has struggled to maintain its footing in the state. In the 2020 elections, AIMIM had won five seats, but four of its MLAs later defected to the RJD.The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are shaping up to be a multi-cornered contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan. The results will be declared on November 14.