Congress dubs Asaduddin Owaisi as ‘Junior Narendra Modi’

Hyderabad: The Congress on Sunday launched its election campaign for the GHMC polls in the Old City, with party leaders launching a vitriolic attack on former ally the MIM in its bastion.

Congress leaders Shabbir Ali and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka addressed meetings and rallies at Barkas and Kukutpally.

Former minister and Greater Hyderabad City Congress president Danam Nagender took part in the Barkas rally and public meeting, his first after he decided to stay back in the party.

Mr Shabbir Ali launched a scathing attack on MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the street corner meetings in Barkas under the Chandrayangutta Assembly constituency. He termed Mr Owaisi as “Junior Narendra Modi” and accused him of reaching a tacit understanding with the BJP and NDA and trying to divide the Opposition and minority vote by contesting independently in other states.

“You have failed in your attempts to divide the Opposition vote. You won just two seats in Maharashtra and are thinking you could divide the minority vote, you went to Bengaluru and Bihar where Muslim minorities taught a befitting lesson to you,” Mr Shabbir Ali said, referring to Mr Owaisi.

“Why were the MIM and Asad silent on the Alair encounter in which five undertrials were killed? The silence means that if there are to be attacks on Old City Muslims, he won’t come to your rescue,” he said.

In a separate meeting at Bandlaguda, TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy said, “We provided an opportunity to the MIM to develop the Old City, but MIM leaders worked for selfish gains and turned millionaires while neglecting the problems of the residents. Today, MIM has entered into a secret alliance with the BJP and is trying to damage the Congress in other parts of the country.”