Kumaraswamy has started wearing RSS knickers: Congress

"Since he (Kumaraswamy) has aligned with the BJP, and has started wearing RSS knickers, he has to blame Congress. They (JDS) could not defeat us in Karnataka. Their confusing statements will not help the BRS and BJP win in Telangana," Hussain said at a press conference in Hyderabad on Sunday.

"All our five guarantees are implemented in toto in Karnataka. There is no problem at all. Some initial hiccups were there since these are new schemes," the Congress leader added.

The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said his party has done its homework before announcing the schemes.

"Mr Kumaraswamy need not worry about anything. Congress is capable of governing the state and Congress does its homework clearly before announcing anything. We have done our homework, our budgeting was done, our financial condition was taken into account and then we announced the guarantees,' Hussain said.

Speaking about the Prime Minister announcing the constitution of a committee on empowering the Dalit (Scheduled Castes) communities in Telangana, the Congress leader said, "He (Modi) is just trying to win away some votes from the opposition parties. When we speak about caste census, we speak about every caste, their health conditions, their educational qualifications, their properties and their income. We are talking about a broad issue whereas he is talking about a smaller issue. When the caste system is done holistically, all the issues will be resolved."

Hussain said that while the Prime Minister wants to split castes for the sake of votes, the Congress aims to identify the subcastes and provide welfare schemes to them based on their conditions.

"Modi wants to try and split castes for the sake of votes. We don't want to split them but we want to identify the subcastes and give welfare schemes according to their present condition," he said.

The Congress leader said that when demands for quotas arise, the party will look into them and form a committee as they have done before.

"As and when there are demands, we look into them with the help of a committee and we have done that. In the caste census, most of these will be covered," Hussain said.

Reacting to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi's recent proposal that the Congress Sadan should be renamed as 'RSS Anna', Hussain said that fearmongering among the minorities is the biggest damage these leaders are doing.

"Fearmongering among the minorities by the leaders themselves is the biggest damage they are doing to the psyche of Muslims in Hyderabad and the youth.' he said.

Assuring the Muslims of taking care of their rights, the Congress leader said, "The caste census is for everyone. Minorities, BCs, sub-castes, and SC-STs will have their say...Nobody can take away their minority's status or the benefits they are getting...Congress stands for the benefit of minorities...When our government is formed, we are going to take care of all the marginalised sections of society."

Reacting to the allegations by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) that the Congress was responsible for the recent attack on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Guvvala Balaraju, Hussain said that both the BJP and the BRS have got the feeling that the Congress in going to win Telangana and hence they are 'spreading lies".

"When BRS and BJP got the feeling that Congress is winning and Congress is forming the first government in Telangana, they do not know what to do. They are spreading lies and hate-mongering, they have resorted to physical assaults on our leaders. Now they are creating confusion by scaring away the voters and partymen. Congress is not going to bow to the gundas of BJP and BRS," he said.

Telangana will go to 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. (ANI)