BJP questions ‘secular stance’ of Congress, BRS in supporting MIM in MLC poll

BJP State president and Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, MLC candidate N Goutam Rao, Corporators and others participating in the Hyderabad local body MLC elections, GHMC area MLC elections meeting at Dr Shyam Prasad Mukherjee Bhavan in Nampally in Hyderabad on Monday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Telangana BJP president and Union Minister of Coal & Mines G. Kishan Reddy, on Monday, questioned the secular stance of Congress and BRS parties after having aligned with, what he called, “communal and Razakar” Majlis party for the local bodies MLC election.

“How can they call themselves secular parties by supporting a party which espouses the cause of the Razakars responsible for atrocities against the Telangana people during the erstwhile Nizam’s rule?,” he asked, at a press conference held at the State office.

The BJP chief also accused the BRS of warning its corporators to stay away from the poll and wondered why the party, despite having the largest number of voters, did not put up any candidate and why it did not trust its own local elected representatives.

“The MIM had opposed the separate State agitation as well as the formation of Telangana, so how can the BRS party support it? Why don’t the party publicly declare its preference?,” questioned Mr. Reddy. He alleged that the MIM had a hand in the communal riots in the previous years and its leaders have been ridiculing the customs and traditions of the majority community.

“The Congress and BRS parties had handed over Hyderabad to the Majlis and soon they will hand over the entire Telangana also. They have become puppets and are genuflecting before MIM leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi exposing their true face. Mr. Owaisi himself is now conveniently riding his bullet to Congress leaders’ houses after doing the same to the Pragati Bhavan during the BRS regime,” he claimed. Earlier, he held a meeting of party corporators, ex-officio members, MLAs and MPs to discuss the strategy for the poll.

Later, Rajya Sabha MP and national OBC chairman K. Laxman, in a video message, said that ganging up of Congress and BRS parties for the MLC election is yet another indication of the BJP gaining ascendancy in the State.

The BRS declaring not to participate in the voting is regrettable and goes against the Constitutional norms. He expressed confidence that the party candidate Gautam Rao will win the election. Malakjgiri MP Eatala Rajender, in a separate press meet, appealed to the corporators to “vote as per their conscience” and claimed that electing the BJP candidate will save the capital region from bomb blasts. BJP vice-president and former MLA N.V.S.S. Prabhakar urged the Majlis corporators to “teach a lesson” to their party leadership for having ignored the welfare of poor Muslims for their selfish political ambitions.