MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi has made it once again clear that his party was not for creation of the Telangana state. It is learnt that during a recent meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Owaisi said they would not accept Telangana formation, as smaller states had done nothing to improve the conditions of the Muslim community. He has told her to keep the state either united or create a Rayala Telangana state, by adding the Rayalaseema districts to Telangana.
Asaduddin has recently met Sonia Gandhi and her political adviser Ahmed Patel and made his stand clear. He told them frankly that they were totally opposed to bifurcation of the state. He has reportedly pointed out that minorities did not get any fairer deal after the BJP government has created three smaller states during the NDA rule. He told them that poor Muslims in those states in fact became poorer after smaller states were carved out of bigger states. Owaisi has also rejected the proposal of turning Greater Hyderabad into a centrally administered region. He has explained that the main revenue source for the entire Telangana region came from Hyderabad.
Owaisi has also strongly objected to the use of the word ‘settlers’. He said several people who had migrated to Telangana from the coastal and Rayalaseema regions, mixed with the local people and even won elections. He said it was atrocious to call such people as settlers. He also told Sonia that cases similar to those under SC., ST atrocities Act should be registered against those who use the word “settlers”. He told her to bring a legislation banning the use of that word.
With the strong Muslim leader of Hyderabad opposing Telangana, how would the Centre be able to resolve the ‘T’ issue is now being discussed in political circles.
–Agencies