"Unnecessarily creating disturbance": BJP's Prakash Reddy targets Owaisi's remarks on Muslim reservation

"Ignorantly, he is talking; unnecessarily, he is creating disturbance among people. All 13 categories are mentioned in the GO. The 14th category includes all Muslims except 'Saiyyad', which is those who preach in the mass. That is 1 per cent, rest, 99 per cent of Muslims, come under the 4 per cent category of reservation. If Owaisi is ignorant of this, then we are ready for a debate," Prakash Reddy told ANI in Hyderabad.

After Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday vowed to revoke the 4 per cent "unconstitutional" Muslim quota and provide this to OBCs, SCs and STs if voted to power in the state, Owaisi came heavily on Shah, saying that this is "BJP's politics of hate".

Addressing a public rally at the Malakpet Assembly constituency in Hyderabad, the AIMIM chief said, "All Muslims do not get a reservation; only the ones listed in the backward class get it. Amit Shah says that all Muslims get reservations to fill Hindus with hatred. Removal of reservation means depriving the backward and Pasmanda Muslims of employment opportunities."

Reacting to Owaisi's remarks, Prakash Reddy alleged that the AIMIM chief is "knowingly" instigating communal feelings in the run-up to the polls.

"The Muslims themselves will drive Owaisi out of this state and country; they will drive him out of politics," he added.

Speaking on Owaisi's stance on UCC, Reddy said, "As far as UCC is concerned, if people of this country want UCC in every part of the country and if you (Owaisi) don't accept this, then people will drive you out of this country."

He said, "Same is the case with Article 370. He said if you remove the article, then the nation will boil and there will be communal riots. There were no such incidents; not even a single drop of blood was shed, this was said by the great barrister Asaduddin Owaisi," he said.

Reddy added, "Without all these, the Home Minister and Prime Minister removed it. Similarly, we will impose UCC by taking all religions. Muslims are also demanding UCC. This is a fact. So you have to be careful while speaking about these two issues."

Ahead of the Telangana polls, Amit Shah launched the BJP manifesto in Hyderabad on Saturday and said that the assurances made in the manifesto are 'PM Modi guarantee' to the public.

Telangana will go for assembly elections on November 30 and the counting of votes, along with those of four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3.

In the previous Assembly election in 2018, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), won 88 of the 119 seats, grabbing 47.4 per cent of the total vote share. The Congress came a distant second with just 19 seats. (ANI)