Hyderabad: Breaking its almost one-and-a-half-decade-long friendship with the Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen today withdrew its support from the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh and UPA government at the centre. The end of crucial support from seven MLAs of MIM has added to the prevailing political uncertainty in the last remaining Congress stronghold in southern India.
Announcing the decision of the party’s executive committee and advisory council on Monday, MIM president and member of Lok Sabha Asaduddin Owaisi said that the party was compelled to withdraw the support from the “communal and anti-poor” government of Kiran Kumar Reddy.
“Pulling down this communal and ineffecient government is our number one priority. I will tour entire Andhra Pradesh and expose the communal face of this government. We are ready to go to any extent to see this government out of power and ready to face any consequences,” he said.
The decision of MIM, which has considerable clout over Muslims in the state, was being seen as an indication of loss of crucial Muslim support to the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh. MIM, which has seven members in Assembly, two in the legislative council and holds the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, also rules Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in alliance with the Congress.
Though the immediate provocation was Sunday’s episode in which the state administration and the police allowed the extension of a disputed temple adjacent to the historic monument of Charminar in the old city of Hyderabad leading to communal tension, Owaisi said that the decision was taken in view of a series of incidents over the last two years.
Owaisi said that since the death of Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy in 2009, the Congress government in the state had failed to check the reign of terror unleashed by communal forces against the minorities. Charging Kiran Kumar Reddy with “licking the feet of Sangh Parivar”, Owaisi made a scathing attack on him. “Congress has found an able successor to P.V. Narasimha Rao. The chief minister, by extending full support to Sangh Parivar and strengthening the BJP in and around Hyderabad, has filled the void left behind by Narasimha Rao,” Owaisi said.
Explaining his anger and disappointment with Kiran Kumar Reddy, Owaisi said that the police and administration under him were conniving with communal forces to target and victimise the minorities. In this context he listed the communal riots in Hyderabad, Adoni (Kurnool district), Sangareddy and Siddipet (Medak district), Miryalguda (Nalgonda district) and several other places over the last two years. “Everywhere the shops, properties and vehicles of minorities were targeted. But instead of coming to their rescue the police arrested hundreds of youth of the minority community and the chief minister kept quiet despite several representations.”
He said the Muslim youth continue to be arrested on trumped up terror charges. “Though CBI probe has established the involvement of Hindu organisations in Makkah Masjid blast, the state government has failed to withdraw the cases booked against Muslim youth,” he said.
Referring to the current spell of trouble, Owaisi said that before Eid, the police and administration gave a free hand to Sangh Parivar to target Muslims bringing cattle for sacrifice on Eid day, though slaughter of bulls and bullocks was allowed under the law. “Cattle worth Rs3 crore [Rs30 million]was confiscated and people were attacked”, he said.
Subsequently violence was unleashed in Mushirabad and Sabzi Mandi areas and shops and houses were damaged in these areas. On the Charminar temple episode he said a ruckus was created on the intervening night of October 31 and November 1 when Sangh Parivar activists took up work to extend the temple abutting Charminar. He said MIM opposed it because the monument was a landmark of Hyderabad and any construction within a 100 metres radius was illegal. He said the MIM filed a PIL in High Court and the court directed maintaining the status quo as on October 30.
But in clear violation of the order, the Kiran Kumar Reddy government ordered the city police, Hyderabad collector and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to put up a tarpaulin sheet on the temple in the early hours of November 11.
“Now each of them is blaming the other,” Owaisi said.
MIM decided to withdraw support a day after the police arrested seven MLAs and one MLC and several other leaders of MIM when they tried to protest against the extension work at the disputed temple and imposed curfew-like restrictions in the old city.
Owaisi also targeted the chief minister on issues like steep hike in the power and water tariff and said that these anti-poor policies were not acceptable.
He said though he had a lot of respect for UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and was thankful to her for her cooperation in the past, he could not continue his support to UPA as Kiran Kumar Reddy’s government in the state had forfeited the confidence and trust of Muslims by his patently communal approach.
The party has written a letter to the President Pranab Mukherji and governor E.S.L. Narasimhan conveying its decision.
Owaisi recalled that MIM was with the Congress party since 1998, actively supported it in 2004 elections and extended outside support to its government since then.
When asked whether distancing itself from Congress means he will join hands with the YSR Congress party, Owaisi said that it was a premature question as elections were not due immediately. “There are many parties and we will take a decision when the elections are announced.” But he added, “Jagan is my friend. Kiran Kumar Reddy was my friend.”
Meanwhile, the United Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella of several Muslim organisations, will meet in Hyderabad on Wednesday to discuss the current situation. The committee had also campaigned actively in support of Congress in 2004 and 2009 elections but it was also likely to sever its relations with the party.
