Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, on Saturday, spoke about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Musi rejuvenation project between the BRS and the Telangana state government. Owaisi stated that it was the BRS that originally came up with the idea and prepared detailed plans for the project. However, it did not move forward because AIMIM had opposed it.
Owaisi further warned that the BRS would find itself in an embarrassing situation if he revealed more about past issues. He claimed that the BRS only won the majority in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections due to AIMIM’s support, and not because of its own strength. According to him, the BRS could have retained power if they had replaced over 25 candidates, as he had suggested. However, he said the party’s leaders, driven by ego, ignored his advice, which led to their loss.
Owaisi also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing out a contradiction. He mentioned that while the Prime Minister wants Hindus to be included in Waqf boards, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) are ensuring that no non-Hindus are employed there.
He also referred to comments made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who encouraged parents to have more children. Owaisi remarked that if he had made such a statement, he would have been accused of promoting “population jihad.”
Additionally, Owaisi expressed concern over the potential impact of delimitation of constituencies based on population, saying that this would negatively affect South India. He pointed out that the TTD chairman suggested that all employees should be Hindu, and the Kashi Vishwanath board also insisted that all staff, including the commissioner, should be Hindu.
Owaisi criticized the proposed Waqf Bill, claiming that it violates Article 26 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the freedom to manage religious affairs. He accused the Modi government of introducing the Bill not to protect Waqf properties but to “loot” them.
When asked about National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah’s recent comments, where Abdullah said it isn’t fair to always blame Pakistan for terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Owaisi responded by pointing out that law and order in the region is under the control of the Lieutenant Governor (LG). He blamed the NDA government for failing to prevent terrorist attacks from across the border.
Lastly, Owaisi addressed comments made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant against another Shiv Sena candidate, Shaina N C. He stated that the remarks referred to “imported leaders” and did not find them problematic.
