MIM Creating Ruckus To Cover Up Inaptitude

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday accused the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen of creating communal disturbances in the Old City to cover up its inability to bring development to the Old City.

Addressing a press conference at their state headquarters at Nampally, BJP State President G Kishan Reddy blamed the MIM for the recent communal disturbances. He maintained that although the MIM has been enjoying power in the Old City for the last 40 years, the area did not witness any development. The Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat was being won by the MIM since 1984, but it failed to bring any Centre-funded projects to the city. He further said that the MCH head office had been shifted from Sardar Mahal in the Old City to new city at Tank Bund.

Kishan Reddy alleged that the MIM leaders have unnecessarily created a controversy around Bhagyanagar Temple only to blackmail the state government into giving them the Mahavir land. He pointed out that the fecklessness of the MIM's decision could be gauged from the fact that it did not even give a formal letter to Governor ESL Narasimhan about the withdrawal of support. The MIM leaders did not even seek time for appointment with the Governor, he said.

The BJP leader questioned the silence of Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and YSR Congress party on the temple issue, and said these parties were apparently waiting for the MIM to severe its ties with the Congress so that they themselves could have a tie-up. However, he advised them against having an alliance with a communal party.

Kishan Reddy said that although the MIM itself had engineered communal disturbance, it went to the State Human Rights Commission with complaints against City Police. He asserted that it is the MIM that is creating problems for the small traders, the vendors and the hawkers in the Old City. Stating that the BJP was in favour of the development of Old City, he said that on being given an opportunity, the party would work for the economic empowerment of the Muslim community.

The BJP also accused the MIM of misusing religious leaders affiliated to the United Muslim Action Committee as a tool for its political gains. He appealed to Muslim religious leaders to realise the political ambitions of MIM, and to stop getting exploited. He also said that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has become a scapegoat in the entire episode.

BJP State Minority Morcha president Syed Haneef Ali was also present at the press conference. (INN)