AIMIM demands union territory status for Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Sep 12 (UNI) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) today clarified they would comment on Telangana only when second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) is constituted by the Centre, but strongly demanded union territory status for Hyderabad to maintain its cosmopolitan culture.

Talking to newspersons here, Hyderabad MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that in the present scenario, they were neither for Telangana state nor against it.

He said AIMIM would not have any objection if separate Telangana was formed after talks with the people in three regions and with the Muslims of the state, who continued to live in poverty.

AIMIM would not have objection if Telangana state was formed and the historic city of Warangal was developed as capital, he added.

Similarly, Guntur or Vijayawada could be developed as capital for Andhra state, but AIMIM's concern was Hyderabad which should be given the status of union territory keeping in mind its cosmopolitan culture. ''However, we will present AIMIM's stand about Telangana statehood if second SRC is constituted,'' he said.

Referring to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Mr Owaisi said it projected itself as a true champion of Telangana people but failed to implement G O 610 (pertaining to jobs for Telangana people) when they were in government.

He added, with the resignation of TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar as Karimnagar MP, the ball was in the court of AP Sports Minister and senior Congress leader of Karimnagar, M Satynarayana Rao, whether to accept the challenge of resigning and go for polls. It was also interesting to watch how PCC Chief and Rajya Sabha MP Keshava Rao would rate TRS now in the wake of his past statement that he treated TRS as his girlfriend, he added.

Asked whether he was interested in disintegration of states or a separate Muslim state, Mr Owaisi said he believed in consolidation.

He said MIM was totally against the demand of separate state for Muslims.

Referring to his recent visit to Lebanon, Mr Owaisi said he visited Lebanon on August 25 to express solidarity to the Lebanese in the wake of the Israeli agression.

He said some parts of Lebanon were completely destroyed. He met some of the important leaders and intellectuals there and Rs 10 crore relief announced by the Centre was also well appreciated by the Lebanese, he added.

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