Telangana elections: Owaisi will have to flee state if BJP comes to power, says Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a scathing attack on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi saying he will have to flee Telangana like the Nizam of Hyderabad if the BJP comes to power in the state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (File/PTI)/

HYDERABAD: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a scathing attack on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in his home turf saying he will have to flee Telangana like the Nizam of Hyderabad if the BJP comes to power in the state. While addressing an election meeting in Owaisi's parliamentary constituency, Adityanath said: "If the BJP comes to power, I assure you Owaisi will have to flee from Telangana the same way Nizam was forced to flee from Hyderabad." Adityanath, BJP's firebrand Hindutva leader, was in Telangana for saffron party's poll campaign ahead of the December 7 Assembly elections. Campaigning ends on Wednesday. BJP president Amit Shah, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were among those who addressed public meetings in different parts of the state on Sunday. Adityanath accused both Congress and TRS of indulging in Muslim appeasement and making religion a foundation for making schemes for them. The BJP, he said, does not discriminate between caste, creed and religion while drafting policies. "Congress says if it forms government in Telangana it will provide area development funds to Muslims. Congress policies are divisive, with wrong intentions," Adityanath said. Congress and TRS are "playing with" the interests of people in Telangana and once more they would make efforts to take the State towards "Nizamshahi", he alleged. "BJP did only development, but never did appeasement of anyone. Congress, TDP, TRS all do only dynastic politics. And Owaisi party also does only Muslim appeasement politics," Adityanath claimed. He sought to know if TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao fulfilled the promise of giving three acre land to dalits and providing drinking water for every household. Adityanath said KCR had, before the 2014 elections, promised to make a Dalit Chief Minister if his party came to power. "Now, they (TRS) are handing over the 'virasat' legacy) to (his) son and daughter." "TDP (President) Chandrababu Naidu handed over (reins to his son)... like Sonia Gandhi handed over to Rahul Gandhi... till dynastic tradition runs in India, democracy cannot be strengthened. It needs to be stopped", he said. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last four-and-half years, the BJP-led government has been carrying out programmes with a mission of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', he added. Poll temperature has shot up in the state with the ruling TRS, the Congress and the BJP pulling out all stops to woo voters. The TRS is going alone in the poll to the 119-member Assembly, as also is the BJP. Last week, Owaisi slammed Adityanath for his remark about a revered figure in Islam saying his 'Ali-Bajrangbali' comment was an "insult" to Muslims. "The UP chief minister crossed all limits at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. 'Aap Ali ko rakh lo....Hamare liye Bajrang Bali kafi hain'. It is unfortunate that nobody condemned his statement. "Certainly, you can follow Bajrang Bali, no one will object to it. Ali is the custodian of the whole universe. Ali is ours and will remain ours. Is there no permission in this country to follow Ali and to take his name?" he told an election rally on Sunday. Adityanath had recently targeted Congress leader Kamal Nath over a leaked video of his meeting with Muslim leaders where he was seen asking them to ensure 90 per cent of electors from the community voted for the party. "I was reading a statement of senior Congress leader Kamal Nath. He said they don't need SC, ST votes. They need just the votes of Muslims. You keep your Ali, for us Bajrang Bali will be enough," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister had said addressing an election rally in Bhopal. Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, is venerated by Muslims.