‘Get Owaisi To Perform Arti’: Bandi Sanjay Targets Revanth Reddy Over Jubilee Hills Bypoll

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday criticised Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Congress leaders for wearing skullcaps during campaigning for the November 11 Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll, questioning whether AIMIM leaders had ever visited the Bhagya Lakshmi temple in Hyderabad.

According to PTI, Kumar said Reddy should clarify if AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi or his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi had ever offered prayers or performed ‘arti’ at the temple. “If Reddy has courage, he should get Asaduddin Owaisi to perform ‘arti’ at the temple,” the minister said.

Speaking at a rally in support of BJP candidate L Deepak Reddy, Kumar alleged that the Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were attempting to consolidate Muslim votes in the constituency. He urged Hindu voters in Jubilee Hills to form a “vote bank” and ensure a BJP victory, claiming that if Congress or BRS won, Hindus would be unable to celebrate their festivals.

Referring to Reddy’s appearance in a skullcap, Kumar remarked that the Chief Minister should make former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin recite a prayer and wear a ‘tilak’.

“Bhagya Lakshmi temple is there in the old city. Did Akbaruddin Owaisi or Asaduddin Owaisi ever have ‘darshan’ there and break a coconut or offer ‘arti’? Revanth Reddy should think about it and answer. They don’t pray or have ‘tilak’. Shamelessly, these people (Congress leaders) wear caps and are greedy for their votes,” Kumar said, as reported by PTI.

He further referred to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, where Hindus were killed after being identified by their religion, and alleged that Congress leaders wearing skullcaps should be checked to see whether they are “real Hindus” or have “Pakistan in their DNA.”

The Union Minister also criticised remarks by AIMIM’s Akbaruddin Owaisi, who had said that “whether it is Reddy or Rao, they should follow him.” Kumar said Congress and BRS leaders “should be ashamed” after such comments.

According to PTI, Kumar accused Congress and BRS leaders of offering inducements such as grinders to Muslim women voters, while asserting that Muslim women are “our daughters” who “treat Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their elder brother.”

He further alleged that the Congress had “brought 40,000 burqas from Pakistan” to enable bogus voting. “Because they are trying to get bogus votes cast by them. The Muslim women here should be careful,” Kumar said.

Kumar also questioned whether the Hindus of Jubilee Hills would unite as a vote bank, alleging that the Congress was attempting to consolidate Muslim votes.

Referring to reported objections over the installation of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he said, “If Naveen Khan (Congress candidate Naveen Yadav) or Sunita Begum (BRS nominee Maganti Sunita) wins here, your community halls would become mosques or dargahs. If Bakrid comes, blood (due to animal sacrifice) will flow in the streets. You cannot celebrate Vinayaka Chaviti or Dussehra, Hanuman Jayanti or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”

Kumar also claimed that Owaisi “is dreaming to make this country an Islamic state by 2047” and alleged that he and Revanth Reddy “are making conspiracies to make Telangana Islamic.”

“If non-BJP parties win even one seat here (Jubilee Hills), the situation of Hindus in Telangana would be such that they have to beg,” he said.

The Union Minister also targeted BRS working president K T Rama Rao, alleging that he “does not want his father KCR to become Chief Minister again.”

(With inputs form PTI)