Owaisi reacts to BJP’s allegations on Pakistani, Rohingya Muslims living in Hyderabad, seeks Union Minister’s resignation

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, November 26

Member of Parliament (MP) from Hyderabad and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has demanded the resignation of Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP MP from Secunderabad, if BJP state unit president Bandi Sanjay’s allegations that “Pakistanis and Rohingya Muslims are illegally staying in Hyderabad and were listed as voters” were true.

The AIMIM chief said this, if true, would directly amount to the failure of the Union Minister of State for Home and so he should be sacked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Owaisi said, the BJP had been in power for the last six and half years and it was their duty to check nothing like this happened. “But if this is true, then the responsibility directly lies on the Modi government,” he said in a public rally on Thursday. 

On Wednesday, Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani had demanded an inquiry into charges that the AIMIM has got Rohingyas enrolled in the voters list.

“The AIMIM is trying to weaken the country from inside by helping illegal immigrants enroll in voters list, depriving social benefits to true citizens of the country,” Smriti Irani reiterated what the BJP state unit chief had said earlier. Owaisi was responding to these allegations.

Bandi Sanjay had also said that it the BJP wins the Mayor’s post in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal (GHMC) elections, the party would do a “surgical strike” in the Old City (a Muslim-dominated area) and kick out the Rohingyas and Pakistanis.  

Owaisi said, “I have only one question for the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. For the past six and half years, you are governing the country, and from Secunderabad, your party member is an MP and he is the Minister of State for Home Affairs. If there are Pakistanis and Rohingyas in Hyderabad, what has your minister been doing for the past one and half year?

“Was the MoS Home Affairs sleeping? Didn’t he know that there are Rohingyas here?” Owaisi questioned, challenging the claims of the BJP. 

He said that the BJP was trying to flare up communal tension and trying to win elections by spreading hatred and dividing Hindus and Muslims, who enjoy equal status in the Constitution.