Owaisi describes Kiran govt as communal, threatens to withdraw support

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Describing the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government as communal, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has threatened to withdraw its support following the incidents that occurred on Sunday as a fall out of reported expansion of a temple abutting Charminar.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters Darussalaam, MIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the Congress Government in the State was not secular and it was being run on the directions of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He said that the party would take a final decision on withdrawing support to the Congress Government in the State and the UPA at the Centre during party's Executive Committee meeting to be held on Monday.

The MIM president also clarified that the expansion of Bhagyalakshmi Temple abutting Charminar was not a Hindu-Muslim issue. "This is a heritage structure. Everyone, irrespective of his religion should protect it. However, it was being damaged by some elements," he said.

Describing the arrest of MIM legislators and workers by the City Police as a "cowardly act to please the Sangh Parivar", the MIM president held Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy responsible for the same.

He said within a few hours of his their arrest, the mobile phone of four MLAs - Akbaruddin Owaisi, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, Ahmed Balala and Ahmed Pasha Quadri were disconnected by involving service providers. Blaming the Chief Minister for the same, he asked him to explain as to which executive powers he has exercised to disconnect the network connections of MIM MLAs.

Asaduddin Owaisi said that the construction activity taken up on Sunday was a clear violation of orders of status quo given by Andhra Pradesh High Court last week. "This has reminded us of the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 2, 1992." he said.

Incidentally, he said that Sunday was celebrated as the Minorities Day to mark the birth anniversary of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad. However, he said that the Chief Minister has given a sample of his communal mentality on Minorities Day by violating the court orders and arresting the leaders of Muslim community.

The MIM chief said that the police sealed off all the routes leading to Charminar at around 6.30 am on Sunday and ensured that a tarpaulin cover was put up over the structure. "The government is not heeding to us despite our repeated warnings against encouraging communal elements. It thinks we only talk and don't do anything," he said.

He said while the MIM's executive body would decide the future course of action on Monday, the Mutaheda Majlis-e-Amal, a non-political representative body of Muslims organisations, led by Moulana Abdul Raheem Qureshi, will also meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Asaduddin Owaisi appealed to the people, especially the MIM cadre to maintain peace an communal harmony in the city.