CM targeting Muslim economy in Old City, alleges Owaisi

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Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday accused Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy of targeting the economy of Muslim community living in the Old City.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting of Muslim Mutehada Majlis-e-Amal or Muslim Joint Action Committee, a representative body of religious organisations, at Darulsalaam, Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that by not allowing the normalcy to return to the Old City, the Chief Minister was deliberately targeting the Muslim economy. He slammed the City Police for imposing undeclared curfew in several areas of the Old City, especially around Charminar. He asked City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma's to explain as to why he was not allowing any Muslim to go near Charminar while permission was being accorded to Hindus to perform pooja at the temple abutting Charminar.

The MIM president said that the traders in Pathergatti, Mir Alam, Shalibanda and surrounding areas have incurred losses to the tune of several crores due to the over-activism of City Police. He said the small traders, rickshaw pullers, auto-drivers, vendors and daily wage earners were the worst hit. He also pointed that the police officials gave the family members of Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha a rousing welcome when they visited Charminar to perform pooja at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple. He said preventing entry of one particular community on a route or public place was against the democracy.

Owaisi said that Kiran Kumar Reddy was proving himself to be the rightful successor of former Prime Minsiter PV Narasimha Rao who crossed all limits to promote communalism. However, he said Kiran Kumar Reddy would be taught a fitting lesson by the people in next elections. He said that the Congress party came to power due to the support of MJAC in 2004 and 2009 elections. But it would be wiped out from the State in the next elections to be held in 2014 or earlier.

When asked as to why the MIM has not given the letter of withdrawing support to the government to Governor ESL Narasimhan, the MIM president said that giving a letter was not essential. However, since the MIM has supported the Congress Government during the last No Confidence Motion, he said a formal letter would be given to the Governor soon.

Owaisi also questioned the silence of secular parties on the controversy surrounding the temple abutting Charminar.