Owaisis Slam Congress Ahead of GHMC Polls

 Hyderabad: The Owaisi brothers’ sharp criticism of the Congress government is being seen as a calculated move ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls. Their remarks, coming in the wake of the Vemulawada dargah demolition and recent communal clashes, have stirred political circles just days after municipal elections.

AIMIM floor leader Akburuddin Owaisi, in his latest speech, compared Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, accusing both of demolishing houses and religious structures of the Muslim community. “There is no difference as both Yogi and Reddy here are demolishing mosques and dargahs. Congress is the party which was behind Babri masjid’s demolition and the reason for community’s backwardness and deprivation. They create threat perception of BJP and deceive Muslims. You should identify and differentiate between who is your own (apna) and other (ghair),” he cautioned, while signalling mobilisation of Muslims during an iftar party on February 26.

Hyderabad MP and party president Asaduddin Owaisi also condemned the demolition of the Vemulawada dargah, calling it a deliberate assault on religious freedom and a dangerous signal that minority places of worship are being selectively targeted under the guise of administration. He made these remarks at Youm-Ul-Quran held at Jamia Masjid Mahboob Chowk on February 27.

Interestingly, these statements come soon after municipal polls in which Congress and AIMIM formed a post-poll alliance to wrest control of the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation from the BJP. This marks the first time in nearly two decades that Congress has held the Mayor’s post in Nizamabad, with AIMIM’s support.

Congress leaders insisted the alliance was for development. A senior PCC leader told Deccan Chronicle that Congress had defeated AIMIM in several wards but later joined hands for developmental purposes. “We have wrestled five seats from AIMIM which is more than what won against BJP, there was no friendly contest. For GHMC we are yet to discuss and for now we cannot say anything,” said the leader.

Meanwhile, MBT spokesman Amjedullah Khan dismissed the Owaisi brothers’ remarks as an old tactic aimed at securing maximum Muslim votes in the upcoming GHMC polls.