Bengaluru: Home minister, R. Ramalinga Reddy claimed here on Monday that BJP leaders were in secret discussions with Mr Asaduddin Owaisi on the possibility of his All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, based in Hyderabad, contesting the coming assembly polls in the state.
“We have information that they have held talks in with him. The BJP can do anything to come to power in the state. They adopted a similar strategy in the UP assembly elections. In fact, they would forge a secret understanding with the PFI and SDPI too in the state if need be," Mr Reddy said disparagingly, adding, "If a national party forges alliances with forces that divide society what will happen?”
An outspoken politician, Mr Owaisi is a three-time Member of Parliament and represents the Hyderabad constitutency in the Lok Sahba.
Mr Reddy, however, refused to respond to questions on the status of investigation into the the murder of activist/journalist, Gauri Lankesh, who was gunned down outside her home a few months ago in the city.
Meanwhile, Chamarajpet MLA B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan asserted in response to Mr Reddy’s claims that neither Mr Owaisi nor any other Muslim leader from any other party could “do any magic” in the state.
“All Muslims will support the Congress party,” Mr Khan declared.
Mr Khan is waiting to be inducted into the Congress along with a few other Janata Dal (S) rebels and is making no bones of his support for the party that he claims has promised to field him and the other JD(S) men in the coming elections
