Owaisi sabotaging protest against demolition of Secretariat mosque: Shabbir Ali

Hyderabad: Former minister and ex-Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, has alleged that AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi is trying to sabotage the movement launched by the Congress and other organisations seeking re-construction of two mosques that had been demolished at the Secretariat.

Shabbir Ali, in a statement released on 1 September, said Mr. Owaisi has been giving misleading statements to prevent the All-India Muslim Personal Board (AIMPLB) from launching an agitation against the demolition of the mosques. He said that the AIMPLB held a meeting in Hyderabad on 16 August and gave a two-week deadline to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to take a favourable decision for the reconstruction of the mosques at the same place where they earlier stood.

Mr. Ali said, “The AIMPLB deadline expired on 31 August. A day before, Mr. Owaisi shared a video stating that he was confident that the state government will reconstruct the mosques at the same place. He should've specified the basis on which he was making such a statement. KCR did not react to the demands made by the Opposition parties, including the Congress. He neither responded to the demands made by other religious organisations nor did he react to the deadline set by the AIMPLB. This clearly shows that the KCR government has deliberately demolished the two mosques and it has no intention to reconstruct them.”

He further alleged that KCR had carried out the demolition after getting Mr. Owaisi's consent and an assurance that there would be no protests after the demolition. “For the same reason, instead of supporting the protest against the demolition of mosques, Mr. Owaisi is still backing KCR for some cheap personal gains,” he alleged.

Mr. Ali pointed out that Mr. Owaisi did not attend the AIMPLB meeting on 16 August and is making statements just to mislead the Muslim people and prevent the AIMPLB from launching an agitation against the Chief Minister. He urged the board to announce its agitation schedule and not get influenced by the AIMIM leader.

“It is strange that Mr. Owaisi is calling the people who are demanding the reconstruction of the mosques his 'opponents'. His statement clearly shows that he is supporting those who demolished the mosques,” the former minister added.

He also said that the AIMIM had an identity and strength only during the Congress rule. Mr. Owaisi was part of both the UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments and today he is targeting the Congress to protect his disproportionate assets, Mr. Ali alleged.

“The AIMIM and TRS leaders are now preparing to enact some drama in the forthcoming Assembly session. People must keep questioning Owaisi on the status of Masjid-e-Ek Khana and other masjids and ashoorkhanas demolished by the TRS government,” he further said, adding that Mr. Owaisi cannot cheat the Muslims as they have understood that he is acting at the behest of the BJP, the RSS, and the TRS.