Hyderabad: Congress candidate from Hyderabad Lok Sabha segment Sameer Waliullah accused both AIMIM and BJP of using communal politics as a shield to cover up the backwardness in Hyderabad.
Addressing the media at the party’s central election office of Hyderabad Lok Sabha segment at Chaderghat on Friday, Sameer alleged that both AIMIM and BJP were trying to polarise the election campaign in Hyderabad.
Sameer said the people were frustrated with the Hindu-Muslim rhetoric of both the parties, which has brought no development to Hyderabad.
“Both parties are demonising each other to make people vote out of fear,” he said, opining that both the parties needed to explain what they did for the overall development of Hyderabad in the past.
“AIMIM should explain what it has done for Hyderabad since 1984. Similarly, the BJP should tell the people what its government at the Centre has done for Hyderabad in the last ten years,” he said, adding that both parties never believed in accountability.
Sameer strongly condemned the BJP and its Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha for her controversial statements and gestures aimed at hurting the Muslim community.
“On one side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is targetting Muslims by even calling them infiltrators. On the other side, the BJP candidate is trying to attract media attention so that she could create a Hindu-Muslim divide. Surprisingly, she is also roaming in some areas seeking Muslim votes. Amidst those visits, she is giving statements that Muslims should be thrown out of this country,” he said.
“BJP candidate is roaming in many Muslim areas in Old City. How many ISI agents and how many anti-nationals she found during her campaign,” he asked.
Sameer alleged that the BJP never treated Hyderabad, especially the old city of Hyderabad, as another part of the State, and that the saffron party has spoiled the city’s image by calling it the den of ‘ISI and anti-nationals’.
“Elections should not be fought on the Hindu-Muslim basis. BJP and MIM should speak about public issues. The Congress party’s agenda in Hyderabad is clear. We will bring development and change. We will improve the lives of common people. We are not interested in the Hindu-Muslim debate, and we want every citizen to get equal growth opportunities and prosper,” he said.
He promised that his major focus would be to eradicate unemployment from the old city, improving the road infrastructure and drainage network, improving drinking water facilities, establishing schools, higher educational institutions and good public hospitals.
Sameer said that the Congress party would raise these issues and force all parties, including MIM and BJP, to contest the elections on the basis of development and not communalism.
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