Expressing confidence of winning the forthcoming elections for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy asked party cadre to launch an aggressive campaign in the MIM-dominated Old City areas.
Addressing a meeting organised by Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee (Minorities Cell) at Banjara Function Hall here on Monday evening, Uttam Kumar expressed regret for not strengthening party’s base in the Old City due to its alliance with the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. “In all previous elections, we had a secret alliance with the MIM. We used to field candidates only to benefit MIM and not to win the elections. However, this arrangement only strengthened the MIM and we lost our base,” confessed Uttam Kumar Reddy.
Accusing MIM leaders of indulging in opportunistic politics, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the MIM sailed with the Congress party for 10 years and switched over to TRS after it came to power. “We will not commit previous mistake. As the TPCC president, I assure you that we will not have any alliance with the MIM in future,” he announced amid loud cheers by the party workers.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said MIM has been trying to damage the Congress party across the country. He said only Congress party was capable of fighting communal forces at the national level and parties like MIM with one MP and a handful of MLAs could cause more harm than good. Stating that the people of Old City were forced to live in deplorable conditions, he said that the Congress party had entrusted the job of serving the people to the MIM. However, they neither served the people, nor remained loyal to the Congress party.
Shabbir Ali also expressed concern over rising communalism under the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre. Referring to the remarks made by Noble Laureate Amartya Sen, he said that the BJP was pursuing the communal agenda by saffaronising the education through NCERT. He accused the MIM of supporting the BJP by dividing secular votes in different parts of the country. He said that the Bengaluru voters have rejected the MIM in the recently held municipal elections and the party’s candidates were unable to secure their deposits.
The Congress leader also asked MIM to clarify its stand on 12% Muslim reservation promise made by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. He asked MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi to clarify whether his present ally, TRS, would be able to fulfill its promise.
AICC Secretary Moulana Syed Taher Dehelvi also accused MIM of sabotaging secular forces across the country by fielding its candidates. He alleged MIM’s entry into Bengaluru elections ensured BJP’s victory as Congress lost elections on many seats with small margins. Further, he alleged that MIM was planning to help the BJP win Bihar elections by fielding its candidates.
GHCC Minority Cell Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail listed out the failures of MIM and also accused it of taking religious institutions, including Jamia Nizamia, into hostage. He questioned as to how Syed Akbar Nizamuddin could head both, interest-based Darulsalaam Bank and also Jamia Nizamia. He said that the Congress workers would gherao Darulsalaam Bank if Akbar Nizamuddin does not relinquish his post as the head of Jamia Nizamia. He also demanded CBI probe into the accounts of Darulsalaam Bank while accusing it of handling benami accounts and black money.
The meeting was also addressed by the other senior leaders of the Congress party. (INN)