Hyderabad:

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has sought to know why the BJP does not get “Backward Classes caste census” conducted if it was so concerned about the community.

The statement comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced at a rally in Suryapet to make a Backward Class (BC) leader as Chief Minister of Telangana if the BJP was voted to power after the November 30 assembly polls in the state.

Addressing a public meeting at Zaheerabad on Friday night Mr Owaisi called BJP and Congress twins and said the two parties will not be successful in the Telangana assembly polls.

“Amit Shah sahab, I am telling you with responsibility. You and Congress have become ‘oule zoule bhai-behan’ (twins). Nothing is going to happen for you people (in favour of) in Telangana. It will be ‘bye, bye’ for you,” he said.

“I would like to ask Amit Shah. If you are so sympathetic towards backward class, why you don’t get BC census conducted,” he said.

Neither PM Narendra Modi nor Congress leader Rahul Gandhi supported his demand for sub quota for OBC and Muslim women in the women’s reservation bill passed in Parliament, Mr Owaisi claimed.

Referring to former MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, who returned to Congress after quitting BJP this week, he wondered whether Congress has become a “washing machine”. Owaisi, however, did not mention Raj Gopal Reddy’s name.

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s comments about AIMIM having a tacit understanding with the BJP, the AIMIM leader asked how did Rahul Gandhi lose in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 elections.

Congress and BJP were in direct contest in 185 seats in 2019 but former won in only 16 and he (Owaisi) had no role to play there, he said.

“How did you (Congress) lose there?” he asked.

Mr Owaisi reiterated his appeal to support ‘mamu’ (BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) where AIMIM is not in the fray in the polls.

“Now, it is known from Zaheerabad and Munugode (where Raj Gopal Reddy lost bypoll on BJP ticket last year) that both BJP and Congress are ‘oule, zoule bhai (twins),” he said.

He also spoke about a book given to him titled ‘Congress is mother of RSS’.

Mr Owaisi stressed that people will be given importance wherever regional parties are in power.

“If they both (national parties BJP and Congress) come to power, then there will not be anyone to address your problems,” he said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

The election related seizures in Telangana crossed Rs 100 crore ever since the model code of conduct came into force in the state on October 9.

A total of Rs 58.96 crore in cash, 64.2 kg gold, 400 kg silver, and a 42.203 carat diamond, besides liquor worth over Rs 6.64 crore, ganja valued at Rs 2.97 crore and other items/freebies worth Rs 6.89 crore were seized, according to a statement issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer on Monday.

From October 9 (when the schedule for the Telangana Assembly elections was announced) till October 16, the total cumulative seizures by law enforcement agencies is valued at over Rs 109.11 crore, it said.

The state goes to the polls on November 30.

Police and other enforcement agencies have intensified their statewide enforcement efforts against illicit money, drugs, liquor, freebies and other inducements and have been carrying out checking of vehicles among other measures.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)