On Friday, 29 August, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi attempted to make headlines by attacking RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who had advised Indian families to consider having three children. Owaisi, in his trademark style, decided to dress up his outrage in the garb of feminism, declaring with great self-righteousness: “Who are you to enter into people’s family lives? Why are you trying to put a burden on Indian woman who might have their own different priorities according to their life?“

For a moment, it almost looked like Owaisi had suddenly become the torchbearer of women’s freedom, their choices, their empowerment. But one scratch at the surface is enough to expose the farce. The same leader who has spent years opposing reforms that benefit women has now overnight reinvented himself as their savior. If hypocrisy had a face, it would look suspiciously like Owaisi holding up a feminist placard while standing on a pile of contradictions.

The “Feminist” Who Voted Against Women

Owaisi’s feminist sermon might sound convincing to those unfamiliar with his record. But the fact remains that Owaisi and his party colleague Imtiyaz Jaleel were among the only MPs who voted against the landmark Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023. The bill sought to grant 33% reservation to women in Parliament and State Assemblies—a historic step towards equal representation. If Owaisi truly cared about women’s autonomy and empowerment, he would have supported the bill with open arms. Instead, he opposed it tooth and nail. And now, the same man dares to invoke feminism when it suits his politics. That is not empowerment—it is selective outrage packaged as moral high ground.

Not content with the feminist card, Owaisi threw in an additional accusation against the RSS and BJP. He said: “BJP and RSS both have failed in providing employment to the youth of this country. You are not talking about that. And now you are saying, okay, give birth to three children.” It is a curious argument. For years, Owaisi himself opposed the Population Control Bill, claiming that India had already achieved replacement fertility rate. But the moment Mohan Bhagwat speaks about family size, suddenly jobs and youth unemployment become his rallying cry. If this is not political opportunism, then what is?

Preaching Small Families While Raising a Big One

Let us also not ignore the personal irony. Owaisi is married to Farheen Owaisi since 11 December 1996. Together, they have six children—five daughters (Khudsia, Yasmeen, Ameena, Maheen, Atika) and one son (Sultanuddin, born in 2010). That is twice the number of children Bhagwat spoke about. Of course, there is nothing wrong in raising a big family, but there is something glaringly hypocritical in mocking others while doing precisely the same yourself. Satirically speaking, one could say Owaisi seems to believe in the principle: “My six kids are a blessing, but your three kids are a burden on women.”

The Forgotten Past: Owaisi Against Population Control

The hypocrisy deepens further when one looks at Owaisi’s own public statements. In October 2022, he bluntly declared: “There’s no need for population control as we’ve already achieved replacement rate. The worry is an ageing population & unemployed youth who cannot support elderly.” Not only that, he mocked demographic concerns with another bizarre retort: “If Hindus & Muslims have ‘same DNA’ then where’s the imbalance?” On the same day, he dismissed RSS viewpoints as nothing more than “Annual Day of Dog Whistles & Hate Speech.”

So when Owaisi himself was telling Indians to have more children and arguing against population control, did he not realize that women would be the ones giving birth? By his logic, he was encouraging women to “carry the burden” then. Where was the feminist concern at that time? It appears Owaisi’s feminism has a strange filter—it only activates when a Hindu leader makes a demographic statement.

The irony didn’t end in 2022. In November 2024, Owaisi went further, siding with Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers who urged South Indians to have more children. He argued that declining populations there could affect political representation during delimitation. Once again, he encouraged families to produce more children—but suddenly, that wasn’t seen as a “burden on women.” Why? Because it aligned with his political calculations. Hypocrisy does not get more transparent than this.

The Bhagwat Factor: Logic vs Rhetoric

In stark contrast, Mohan Bhagwat’s statement was rooted in mathematics and demographic logic. He explained: “In mathematics, 2.1 can be rounded to 2. However, human life cannot be 2.1. We cannot have a 0.1 kid. So, 2.1 means 3 kids. Every citizen of this country should see to it that they have 3 children in their family.” Bhagwat clarified further: “We should not go beyond 3 kids. Because it can then become difficult to raise them properly. This is something everyone should accept.”

Bhagwat’s argument was not about religious favoritism or controlling women’s choices. It was about population balance, economic sustainability, and ensuring demographic stability. He even acknowledged the fertility decline across communities, stating that Hindus already had a low fertility rate while other groups saw sharper declines because they started from a higher base. His appeal was for a national conversation, not a communal one.

Owaisi’s attack on Bhagwat was therefore not a feminist concern but a political stunt. He opposes women’s reservation, yet he plays the feminist card. He encourages larger families in his own speeches, yet calls Bhagwat anti-woman for suggesting three children. He has six children of his own, yet attacks others for promoting family expansion. He selectively supports high fertility in southern states, yet calls it communal rhetoric in the north.

In the end, Owaisi’s posturing is a masterclass in doublespeak. His so-called feminism is not about empowering women—it is about disempowering his political opponents. His selective outrage is not about choice—it is about convenience.

And when hypocrisy shouts this loud, satire writes itself: Owaisi, the man who denied women 33% seats in Parliament, now wants to lecture the country on women’s freedom. One wonders if even his own speeches can keep up with his contradictions.

This is not feminism. This is hypocrisy dressed as activism.