Ahead of Assembly elections, the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi launched an attack on the BRS Government in Telangana led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao accusing it of neglecting the development in the Old City area of Hyderabad and depriving the Muslim community of development while taking care of the Dalits and the Brahmins.

Speaking at a public rally in Sadasivpet last night, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi launched a broadside against the BRS Government while retorting to a jibe by Union Home minister Amit Shah who often refers to the AIMIM as the steering wheel of a car (symbol of the BRS). He pointed out that their proposals were not being taken up by the BRS and if they were indeed the steering wheel would that have happened.

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Warning that “Muslims should not be taken for granted”, Owaisi iterated that the last bit of Metro rail connectivity in the old city area which would cost only Rs 500 crore was yet to be taken up even when tenders have been floated for the new line between Mindspace and Shamshabad airport at cost of Rs5685 crores.

“If a Brahmin Sadan is being constructed it is very good. What about the Muslim Centre for which land was given at the same place but it has not been constructed,” he asked.

The criticism came in the wake of the chief minister announcing a slew of assistance and welfare scheme for Brahmins ahead of the elections due in December.

The Hyderabad recalled that while giving Rs 10 lakh to Dalit families as financial assistance under the Dalit Bandhu Scheme, the state government discarded the AIMIM’s proposal for a similar scheme for the minorities who are under the below poverty line.

Despite the criticism from Asaduddin Owaisi many are unwilling to take his jibes seriously pointing out the BRS and AIMIM usually play the same game before every election while having friendly fights in certain constituencies to keep the BJP out. His attack was aimed at taking the wind out of the sails of BJP.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated the Brahmin Sadan at Gopanpally, the largest and one of a kind in the country constructed on a plot measuring over 6 acres at the cost of 12 crores. Although Brahmins are considered close to the BJP, Rao in Telangana has managed to keep the community happy through his welfare schemes.

Even today he announced that honorarium given to Vedic scholars will be increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. The age criterion for the honorarium will be reduced to 65 years from 75 years. More than 6,000 temples will receive funds of Rs 1,000 a month. Ved Pathshalas will get Rs 2 lakh as annual grants. He also announced a decision to extend fee reimbursement scheme to Brahmin students studying in premier institutions like IITs and IIMs.