ADILABAD: In 2013 the AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was arrested and was subsequently sent to jail for a month by the Congress which is still haunting the party and affecting its chances in Telangana.
During the Congress rule in then united Andra Pradesh, Akbaruddin Owaisi was arrested and sent to jail for his speech alleged hate speech against the Hindu Gods at a party meeting in Nirmal. Following which the MIM distanced itself from the Congress and began supporting the TRS.
His arrest was humiliating for the party and its leadership developed a hatred against the then Congress Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
In the recently held Assembly elections minorities played a vital role in deciding the TRS candidates’ victory in many constituencies.
During the recent election campaign in Nirmal town, the MIM party president Asaduddin Owaisi recalled that they have not forgotten the humility they faced at the hands of Congress while referring to Akbaruddin Owaisi’s arrest.
He supported TRS candidate Allola Indrakaran Reddy from Nirmal which is the same constituency from where his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi made the controversial speech in December 2012.
Local MIM leaders worked in ‘understanding’ with the TRS candidates and this was visible in Adilabad, Nirmal and Mudhole and Karimnagar.
It may be mentioned that MIM was closer to the Congress during the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy period when he was the Chief Minister. The implementation of 4 per cent reservations by Rajasekhar Reddy helped the minorities a lot.