"Owaisis Must Contest From Amberpet"

The Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) has announced that it would openly support, and even work for, its arch rival Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslameen if MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi or his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi accepts the challenge of state BJP president G Kishan Reddy for a contest from Amberpet Assembly constituency.

Addressing a massive public meeting at Sarfekhaz Phaltan under Malakpet Assembly Constituency on Saturday night, MBT Corporator Amjed Ullah Khan said that the MIM leadership should accept the challenge of the state BJP president, and that either one of Owaisi brothers should enter the fray. "We will not only extend support, but will also work hard to ensure the victory of the MIM candidate against the BJP president," he said. However, he doubted the sincerity of the Owaisi brothers, and said that the MIM leadership is lowering the prestige of the Muslim community by throwing avoidable challenges.

Amjed Ullah Khan (Corporator) pointed out that the MIM leadership had made several provocative statements with regard to the Bhagya Laxmi Temple, which he said indirectly damaged the image of Muslims. "Similarly, they challenged BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to come to Hyderabad. Although Modi came and addressed a public meeting in the city, MIM leaders remained silent, and did not even organize a single protest. Similarly, Asaduddin Owaisi challenged Modi to contest from the Hyderabad seat. In response, Kishan Reddy challenged Asad Owaisi to contest from Amberpet," he said. He added that instead of keeping quiet, Asad Owaisi should accept the challenge and defeat Kishan Reddy if he really cares for the prestige of the Muslim community.

The MBT leader also ridiculed the "Best MLA" award given to Malakpet legislator Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala by a private firm. Stating that there was no development worth mentioning in the last 5 years in the Malakpet Assembly Constituency, Amjed Ullah Khan also claimed that the firm which gave the award to the MIM MLA was linked to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Amjed Ullah Khan said that the conditions in the Malakpet Assembly Constituency have deteriorated in the last 5 years. "Many government schools which were in private buildings since the last 50 years have vanished or are in a bad condition with no proper toilets or classrooms. The parks and playgrounds in the said constituency have been encroached upon by politically-backed mafia," he alleged.

The MBT leader also ridiculed the claim of Asaduddin Owaisi of his being a national leader of Muslims. Out of nearly 14.70 lakh votes in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, Asad Owaisi secured a little over 3 lakh votes to win 2009 elections. He said while Asad Owaisi has been claiming that the MIM had helped riot victims in Muzaffarnagar (UP) and Assam, the MIM has completely ignored Moulana Naseeruddin and his family members against whom the Gujarat police had allegedly filed several fake cases.

Amjed Ullah Khan said the MIM leadership had maintained a controversial stand even on the Telangana issue. "While openly opposing the Telangana demand, they proposed a united AP, Union Territory status to Hyderabad, and then Rayala Telangana from the Centre," he said.

He said that it was fortunate that other prominent Muslim organizations had supported the Telangana demand. "Else, the conditions for Muslims in the new state would have had been different," he said.

Commenting on the talks of an alliance between TRS and MIM, he said that such a move would be called an "opportunistic alliance", and that the TRS would lose the support of minorities, especially Muslims, if it decides to sail with the MIM.

The public meeting was presided over by MBT president Dr. Khayam Khan, and was addressed by other MBT leaders. (INN)