Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday promised to do away with reservations for the Muslim community once the BJP comes to power in Telangana, while addressing a public meeting titled "Vijay Sankalp Sabha" at Chevella near Hyderabad.
"We are not scared of Majlis (AIMIM). Telangana government will be for the people and not Owaisi. Once the BJP government is formed this unconstitutional Muslim reservation will be scrapped. This right is of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC and they will get their right and we will scrap Muslim reservation,” Shah said.
All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Shah for his statements. "Besides anti-Muslim hate speech BJP has no vision for Telangana. All they can offer is fake encounters, surgical strikes on Hyderabad, curfews, releasing criminals & bulldozers. Why do you hate people of Telangana so much?" he said.
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He further said that if the minister was serious about ensuring justice for SCs, STs and OBCs, "then he should introduce a constitutional amendment to remove 50% quota ceiling."
"Reservations for backward Muslim groups is based on empirical data. Please read the Sudhir Commission report. If you cannot, please ask someone who can. Reservations for Muslims are continuing under a stay from SC," he said.
Amit Shah's visit is part of 'Parliament Prabhas Yojana' programme, according to officials.
Though Shah was scheduled to meet some of the key members of blockbuster 'RRR' movie team during his visit, the same was cancelled, they said. BJP sources said the saffron party will work with increased focus in Telangana and step up its campaign once the Assembly polls are over in neighbouring Karnataka on May 10.
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The political one-upmanship between the ruling BRS and BJP has reached new heights during recent times with the war of words between the two parties becoming almost a daily affair.
The BJP has been making efforts to emerge as the alternative to BRS and the national party has had reasonable success in a couple of Assembly bypolls and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election during the last three years.
