MIM Inciting Communal Hatred: G Niranjan

Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary G Niranjan on Sunday slammed Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leaders for dragging on the controversy around the Bhagyalakshmi temple abutting Charminar.

Talking to reporters in the Assembly premises, Niranjan alleged that MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi made some derogatory remarks against Hindu Gods and Goddesses during his speech in a public meeting at Nizamabad on Saturday. He accused the MIM leaders of trying to create a Hindu-Muslim divide with their provocative speeches.

Niranjan said that it sounds strange when MIM leaders speak about the protection of heritage monuments. He alleged that several heritage properties in the city were encroached upon and damaged by the MIM leaders themselves for commercial gains. However, he said that by stretching the Bhagyalakshmi temple issue, the MIM was trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere across the state.

He also furnished a photograph showing how the Machli Kamaan, one of arches around Charminar, was being misused by the MIM. He said a flexi with the photographs of MIM leaders has been put on 400-year-old Machli Kamaan. "This clearly indicates how sincere they are in the protection of heritage structures. It proves that the Bhagyalakshmi temple issue is a part of their political game to create a division and tension among both the sections of the people, and to misguide the Muslim brethren for their political gains," he alleged.

The Congress leader also condemned the MIM leader's repeated attempts to target Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He said that the Chief Minister's secular credentials could not be questioned. It was Kiran Kumar Reddy who not only released innocent youth in the Mecca Masjid blast case, but also gave them Character Certificates, he said.

Reiterating that the Bhagyalakshmi Temple existed for a long time, Niranjan condemned the MIM for calling it an illegal temple. (INN)