While challenging Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to contest elections from his bastion Hyderabad, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi told Muslims in Telangana to vote for the BRS in the upcoming assembly election. He also attacked the BJP saying the day is not far when a Muslim will be lynched in Parliament.

Speaking at a public rally at party headquarters Darussalam, on Sunday, Owaisi took on Rahul Gandhi, who had alleged last week that the BRS and the AIMIM were in partnership with the BJP.

Owaisi launched an attack on Gandhi and the Congress in a speech interspersed with wit, humour, and satire as he invited him to fight elections from Hyderabad, an AIMIM bastion for decades.

“I want to tell your leader this time not to fight elections in Wayanad but to come to Hyderabad. I am challenging don’t go to Wayanad, (instead) come here and we will test that hand (Congress symbol). You make such lofty speeches; then why don’t you fight on the ground against a man wearing a cap and sherwani?”

He then went on to remind people that it is the Congress which should be blamed for the riots.

“I want to appeal to the people of Telangana to remember that the riots in Hyderabad were the Congress’s gift. We have brought peace here with a lot of effort. True, there is a lot of work left to be done. It is this Congress which was in power when Babri Masjid was demolished. A masjid was demolished in the secretariat, but it was rebuilt. However, the Babri Masjid was never rebuilt,” Owaisi said. He then asked the Congress leaders whether PV Narasimha Rao was their father or not, promptly forgetting that Telangana chief minister reveres Rao as the son of the soil. He then went on to appeal to his supporters to not look at the candidates but vote for the symbol of AIMIM and wherever there was no AIMIM, vote for the BRS.

“In the upcoming assembly election strengthen the Majlis (AIMIM), vote for Majlis candidates. And wherever there is no Majlis candidate, support Mamoon (KCR),” Owaisi said to a cheering crowd. Both the Congress and BRS are vying for Muslim votes, and it was because of Owaisi’s campaign that the BRS had got Muslim votes winning a large number of seats in the previous assembly election.

Speaking on the recent hate speech by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, Owaisi challenged the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to translate the speech and send it to the premiers of Muslim nations, like Saudi Arabia.

K Kavitha attacks Rahul

Attacking Rahul Gandhi for declaring that the Congress will win Telangana, BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha said he was under a misconception. During a party programme in Nizamabad, she said, “Rahul Gandhi ji you are saying you will certainly win Telangana. Not certainly, sir, you will see after the results. I invite you to come and visit Telangana after the results. The BRS will definitely win Telangana and form a government.”

She also said the Women Reservation Bill was like a post-dated cheque given by the BJP.