Congress slow to act against Owaisi, says BJP

Hyderabad, Jan 7: Hitting out at the Andhra Pradesh government for allegedly failing to take prompt action over the "hate speech" of MIM MLA

, the

today accused the

of going soft on him as both are still alliance partners in Hyderabad.

"Why this delay in taking action. Why this lenient attitude when there is a universal condemnation of his (MIM MLA's) highly objectionable comments. It is the Congress which helped MIM to grow. They still share power in Hyderabad Corporation. Is this the reason why they are soft?" senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu asked while talking to reporters here.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) had recently withdrawn its support to Congress both at the Centre and Andhra Pradesh but both parties continue to share power in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The state Congress government has failed to take action against the MIM leaders promptly though they violated the law on many occasions in the past, Naidu alleged. Congress will have to answer for its inaction, he maintained.

The BJP leader further alleged that the Andhra Congress government lacked the courage to take concrete action against Akbaruddin Owaisi though "every word said by him was highly provocative and objectionable during public meetings in Adilabad and Nizamabad districts."

Alleging that MIM never cared for the welfare of Muslim minorities, Naidu claimed that Akbaruddin Owaisi's "inflammatory" speech was aimed at strengthening the party elsewhere in AP and also in some parts of erstwhile Nizam state (in Maharashtra and Karnataka).

Meanwhile, Nirmal town in Adilabad district where Owaisi is alleged to have made the hate speech, observed a bandh in anticipation of his arrival on Monday. On the other hand, local BJP leaders made a vain bid to take out a rally in protesting his remarks. Large number of police force prevented them from taking out a procession to the police station. The BJP workers jostled to gain forcible entry into the police station premises which resulted in a lathi charge and the arrest of the BJP district president and 15 others.

(With PTI inputs)