- MIM is supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is because their ideology and thinking are same…the ideology of divisiveness — Rahul Gandhi
- People of Hyderabad will give befitting reply to both Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah. — Asaduddin Owaisi
HYDERABAD (IANS) — Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) shares Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideology of hatred and divisiveness.
In the first direct and bitter attack on the former ally of Congress, Gandhi said both the parties have the same ideology and thinking.
Gandhi was addressing a public meeting to mark Rajiv Sadbhavana Yatra at the historic Charminar here on Saturday night. Speaking in the old city of Hyderabad, the bastion of MIM, he spared no words to target the party.
The Congress president said for the first time in India’s history, a prime minister and his followers were engaged in spreading hatred and working to divide the country.
He said a Dalits, tribals, Muslims, women and other weaker sections were living in fear across the country due to the ideology of hatred.
He said the country was witnessing a fight between two ideologies. Stating that Congress believes in unity and wants to carry all people with it, Gandhi said it was fighting against the forces which are spreading hatred.
He said state after state, MIM was supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This is because their ideology and thinking are same…the ideology of divisiveness, the thinking of breaking the country and thinking of spreading hatred. Congress is fighting these forces,” he said.
“This country does not belong to one particular religion, caste or region. This is the country of all people,” he said and pointed out that the Constitution gives right to every Indian to live peacefully.
The Congress president alleged that BJP, TRS and MIM were hand-in-glove. He said TRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao backed demonetisation though economists world over have termed it as the biggest mistake.
“In Parliament your CM and his party support BJP and Modi. All three support each other. They don’t want country to stand united because if it happens, they will have no space.”
Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi installed the portrait of Savarkar in Parliament despite the fact that when Mahatma Gandhi and Congress leaders were in jails for fighting against the British, he wrote a letter of apology to British and requested them to release him.
“He was not Veer (brave),” remarked Gandhi.
The public meeting at Charminar was the third and final meeting addressed by Gandhi during his day-long visit to Telangana to kickstart party’s campaign for December 7 assembly elections.
The Congress president, who earlier addressed meetings at Bhainsa and Kamareddy towns, slammed KCR for corruption in irrigation projects. He alleged that KCR’s family cornered all benefits since the formation of Telangana state while all hopes of people were dashed.
Gandhi also said both Modi and KCR were indulging in corruption and both have gone back on the promises made to people.
The Congress president described Rafael deal as the biggest scam and alleged that Modi snatched the contract of making fighter jets from public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to give it to his friend Anil Ambani.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi presented Rajiv Sadbhavana award to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah.
The annual event was organised to commemorate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to Charminar in 1990. After hoisting the party flag, Rahul Gandhi flagged off Sadbhavana Yatra to promote communal harmony.
Will Continue to Fight Soft and Hard Hindutva: Owaisi
Reacting sharply to Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s remark that MIM shared BJP’s ideology of hatred, MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday his party would continue to fight both soft and hard Hindutva.
The Hyderabad MP also reminded Gandhi that MIM was part of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) till 2012.
“@RahulGandhi be assured that we will continue to contest elections & defeat soft and hard Hindutva in Telangana inshallah. Pls refresh your memory about who was with UPA till 2012. We need an assertive & independent minority SC/ST leadership which @INCIndia’s chamchas can’t provide,” tweeted Owaisi.
The president of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) tweeted hours after Rahul Gandhi addresses a meeting at historic Charminar in the old city of Hyderabad, considered a bastion of MIM.
In his first direct and bitter attack, Gandhi said MIM was supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi because they have the same ideology of hatred and divisiveness.
Before Gandhi’s visit to Charminar, Owaisi dared him and BJP president Amit Shah to contest against him in Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency.
“Amit Shah had come to my constituency 10 days ago and said we will ensure Owaisi and Majlis ‘mukt’ Hyderabad. I want both Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah to contest from Hyderabad. People of Hyderabad will give befitting reply to a Janedaru Hindu and a Hindu nationalist,” he said.
Owaisi, whose party is an ally of Telangana’s ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said there was not a single communal riot in Hyderabad during last four-and-a-half year whereas there were several riots during Congress rule after 2009.
