As elections for the Telangana Legislative Assembly are nearing, political knives are out, even among allies. The All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi lambasted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for not honoring its promises made to Muslims, including the construction of an International Islamic Center at Gachibowli and the delay in the clearance of the Shadi Mubarak dole for poor Muslims.
Regarding heavy funding of temples by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), the Majlis chief pointed out that more than Rs 1,200 crore was spent to renovate Yadadri temple, Rs 1,000 crore of assistance was announced for Kondagattu temple, another Rs 425 crore was given to Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Dubbaka, Rs 25 crore was given for the Hare Krishna temple coming up in Narsingi, and Rs 2,500 crore for all the small and medium temples and for the welfare of archakas (temple priests) in Telangana.
An agitated Asaduddin Owaisi recalled that KCR promised to construct an Islamic Center at Gachibowli long ago, but he lamented that it has yet to take off. KCR will be inaugurating the Brahman Parishad Bhavan next month, and he added that he was not against assistance given to Hindu temples but was terribly upset by the manner in which promises made to Muslims were being ignored all these years.
Returning the favor about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s repeated mockery that Asaduddin controls the steering of the BRS’ car, the poll symbol of the BRS, he highlighted the absolute discrimination shown by the KCR government when it came to extending financial support to places of worship of the minorities, particularly the Muslims.
The astute politician Asaduddin Owaisi, while addressing a massive public meeting at the Multipurpose Ground in Telangana State, chose to remain non-committal when the crowd urged him to field AIMIM candidates across the state. The ‘democratic’ Asaduddin said he would discuss the issue with party leaders and take a decision at an appropriate time. It was like seeking more time to restore and normalize the constipated relationship between the AIMIM and BRS. It may be recalled that the young Velama Hruday Samrat and the crown prince of KCR, K Rama Rao (KTR), had taunted Asaduddin Owaisi’s brother and Majlis Floor Leader in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, Akbaruddin Owaisi, face-to-face by saying that Majlis is a small party with only seven MLAs. Akbaruddin Owaisi felt stung and humiliated by this blatant mockery, and he paid back KTR on the Floor of the House by declaring that he would ask the party chief (Asaduddin Owaisi) to field more candidates from AIMIM in the next polls, get at least 14 MLAs elected from his party, and continue to support the BRS Government. The threat and the offer of support were together — field more candidates to challenge the BRS and later support a BRS government after the polls!
Though Asaduddin Owaisi was critical of the BRS government, in a subtle manner, he sought to convey the message to the electorate that it was only the BRS that could take on the BJP. Rahul Gandhi and Asaduddin Owaisi’s ego clash will not allow AIMIM to form an alliance with Congress. Asaduddin Owaisi cautioned the BRS government to rein in the Sangh Parivar and predicted that the KCR government could see the tough challenges ahead if it did not realize the gravity of the alarming situation.
Asaduddin Owaisi roared a threat that Majlis would be forced to accelerate their own car (contest more seats). This could lead to accidents (electoral setbacks) and cause embarrassment to the ruling BRS party in the state. Taking a jab at BJP leader Amit Shah’s accusation that the BRS’ steering is held in his hands, Asaduddin Owaisi rebutted the Union Home Minister’s comments that the new secretariat was constructed only to please Asaduddin Owaisi. He opined that he would have built a much more beautiful structure like the Taj Mahal and Charminar than the present secretariat if the designer had consulted him for the design of the new secretariat. On the 2BHK scheme, the massive crowd corrected Asaduddin’s figure of 81 houses while stating that not even 80 houses were allotted to Muslims. The share of poor Muslims’ houses also goes to Hindus, lamented the crowd in front of Owaisi.
In a direct attack at the KCR government, which points to souring relations between Asaduddin Owaisi and the KCR, Owaisi referred to alleged corruption in the appointment of staff in government hospitals. When Asaduddin Owaisi said the posts of an attendee were sold for Rs 50,000 at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Adilabad, the crowd interjected to say that it was more than Rs 1 lakh that was collected for each post. This Owaisi charge against the KCR government may be music to the BJP’s ears. It is only a matter of time before the demoralized Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, smarting from a humiliating defeat in Karnataka, let loose the caged parrot to bite KCR on the issue of corruption!
Neither a BRS government nor a Congress government, but a coalition government in Telangana after the polls, would be a viable option for the beleaguered Muslims to get their issues solved and tap the flow of funds for their development. The coalition government would not be able to ride its charm like a girlfriend and bully the lovers with no choice! Meanwhile, Asaduddin Owaisi should learn not to put all his political eggs in the BRS basket! KCR should know that putting a date in Asaduddin Owaisi’s mouth to break his fast during the Ramadan Iftar Show will not satiate the hunger of Muslims in Telangana.
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