MIM Threatens To Quit Kiran Kumar Govt.

Holding the chief minister resposible for the unrest in Old City, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) threatened to renege on its support of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, thus potentially spelling doom for the ruling party's already precarious position.

A furious MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi went so far as to say the party would decide if it wants to pull out from the UPA govt. at the centre. As the only Muslim party supporting the Congress, MIM's seven members in the 294-member state legislative assembly could make a lot of difference to Congress' strength, which is currently 152, and could come down to 148 if four of its MLAs threatening to jump onto the YSRCP bandwagon stick to their guns.

The decision to withdraw support came after the fracas in the Old City over the "expansion" of the Bhagyalakshmi temple adjoining the heritage buliding of Charminar. After days of continued communal tension in that part of the city - with sporadic instances of stone-pelting being reported, and section 144 being enforced - on Sunday morning, five MIM MLAs were arrested when allegedly making a move towards the Bhagyalakshi temple to conduct a large scale protest against the authorised erection of a canopy over the temple.

"I hold the chief minister responsible for the unrest in the Old City and he has shown that his government is not secular", said a visibly ticked off Owaisi.

According to analysts, Congress could be in big trouble if it fails in keeping its small supporters, like MIM, happy. MIM has so far been supportive of the Kiran Kumar Reddy govt. mainly to obstruct BJP's forays into the state.

Lately, though, Owaisi says he's been "let down" by the Congress, and expressed the irony of five of his legislators being arrested like "thieves and cowards, ironically on Minorities Rights' Day".