People Of AP Must Oust ‘Opportunist’ Naidu: Owaisi

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has called on people of Andhra Pradesh to oust 'opportunist' Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu and vote for YSR Congress Party which is led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In an exclusive interview to Sakshi TV, Owaisi talks about 'Jagan' wave in Andhra Pradesh, Special Category Status and reservation for minorities in Telangana. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q: What do you think of the Telangana elections?

Owaisi: It is good. I am hopeful that in 16 parliamentary seats, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will win and in the Hyderabad parliamentary seat, the AIMIM will win again. The AIMIM party is supporting TRS and I am confident that the result will be 17-0, and this will be a strong factor that could work at the Centre too.

In Andhra Pradesh too, I am confident that our friend Jagan Mohan Reddy will win and people will bless the party with a clear mandate. I hope that the party wins 20+ parliamentary seats and gets at least 130 assembly constituencies.

Q: What could be the Muslim voters' pattern this election?

Owaisi: The issue is not about Muslim voters. See, how much can you trust Chandrababu Naidu is the first question. When Naidu was the CM, I was the MLA for nine years; he 'kicked' me and supported the Vajpayee-led BJP government.

During the Gujarat riots, when more than 2,000 students were in jail and students from Hyderabad were picked up by the police, I would question Naidu in the assembly about the genocide in Gujarat. He used to laugh and boast saying that he was protecting Andhra's interests by staying in alliance with the BJP. This was his hypocrisy.

In 2014, I would say that this TDP government helped Modi to be the PM. There were several mob lynching cases, but TDP was silent. Today, they are talking about secularism. I appeal to citizens not to trust Naidu. His past record is enough to know his credentials.

Secondly, when the Centre did not give SCS to AP, why were you silent for three years? Were you on a 'honeymoon' with Modi?

I can certainly say that if AP citizens make Jagan the CM, and bring 20+MPs from the YSRCP, then in Delhi, the government at the Centre will be a non-Congress, non-BJP and non-TDP government. This will help AP citizens and Jagan's primary demand for SCS and this a genuine demand. So, if people support, it will be good for the state and even I will support the YSRCP in the Parliament.

Q: AP CM Naidu is promising that he will make a Muslim deputy CM if the TDP comes to power, what do you think?

Owaisi: Naidu betrayed NT Rama Rao, citizens. He has supported the BJP twice—once Atal Bihari Vajpayee and again Narendra Modi. You can't trust him. What has he done for the minorities?

If the people vote for Naidu, in the future, the TDP will again go with the BJP. What will happen to secularism and the Constitution, SCS to the state?

There is no truth regarding his statement on making a Muslim, the deputy CM.

Q: Initially, we could see in Telangana, there was a TDP-Congress alliance, but right now they are contesting alone?

Owaisi: This is the hypocrisy of the Congress party. Naidu came to my Hyderabad constituency thrice and had 'tall talks' with the Congress. The people of Hyderabad and Telangana have rejected him.

I hope AP people too throw away the 'opportunistic' man, who has no morals or principles. He can change his stand anytime. His only intention is nothing must happen to me. He is not concerned about AP interests, or with secularism, nor minorities.

I was an MLA for nine years during his regime. This man has put me into jail many times. Let me tell Naidu, on September 22, 1999, during the second phase elections, in the Old City area, I was attacked by the Task Force on the orders of Naidu. What shocked me was that officer who carried on his orders was made an IPS officer out of turn by Naidu asking LK Advani.

Naidu is not worried about his party or people; he is only worried about his son. He thinks if I am finished, what will happen to my son.

I want to tell him, AP is bigger than your son or your party and only because of this Jagan as he embarked on his 'Padyatra', he saw the problems of the people and felt it and created a personal touch. After that, we could see a change of personality in him. I am sure that he win win this time, and history will remember him more than his father Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy.

I would also remind one thing that he is the son of YSR and I have seen him YSR up close. He had come to the Old City area and announced a package of Rs 3,000 crore, and he stands on his promise. So, if Andhra is to get justice and get the SCS and most importantly secure a prominent place for AP, then I urge people to vote for him.

Q: YSR had passed a resolution of 4 per cent for the minorities? What is the role of your party?

Owaisi: Certainly. In the meeting for reservation, at a dinner meeting at Yunu Sultan's residence, YSR and my father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi had a talk. My father explained to YSR why reservation is important for the minorities, and that it is not only important for the Muslims, but the state will also prosper and a message will be given to the country. Immediately, YSR said that he is ready and said he will get the Bill passed.

Also note that, when YSR was the CM, he got a resolution passed in the Assembly to give Christian Muslims a Dalit status. He was the second CM in India to such a pass resolution and send it to the government of India.

This was the commitment of YSR towards the minority and I am confident that his son will carry forward his legacy.

Q: In 2014, there was 'Modi wave', how does 2019 look like?

Owaisi: There's no Modi wave. In Andhra there is Jagan wave, in Telangana there is TRS wave, there will be a clear shift. If Jagan is the CM, there will be no involvement of KCR, or Naidu or Modi. He will be the sole person and he will be independently protecting the interests of the AP people.

We need a non-Congress, non- BJP government at the Centre because national parties are not understanding the interests of the people of AP and they are not wanting to remove the injustices meted to the people of the state.

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