Hyderabad: Months ahead of the Telangana elections, a khateeb of a masjid in the Khairtabad Assembly constituency in Hyderabad district, sharply rebuked Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator Danam Nagender. He described him to Firaoun, an allusion to the ancient Egyptian autocrat and despot Pharoah, while deivering a sermon last Friday.
The khateeb, Mufti Sadatullah Hussaini, was speaking at Masjid-e-Jeelania, off Raj Bhavan Road. His remarks came to light after video clips of the sermon were widely shared on social media. The khateeb is seen warning Nagender that his constituents would remove him from his seat if their rightful demands are ignored.
The video clips show the Hussaini harshly criticising Nagender for not doing enough to hand over a land parcel, spread over two acre, near the masjid, which the Muslim community of the area assert is a graveyard. He also expressed grave concern that certain individuals were eyeing the land parcel. The issue has been simmering, and gained momentum, since earlier this year.
Mincing no words, Mufti Hussaini is heard saying, “Mr Nageder, who is the MLA of this place, thinks he is the Firoun (Pharoah) of this area. I want to tell him on behalf of all the worshippers at this masjid and on behalf of responsible people of Khairtabad: If you do not not give in to our rightful demand of giving us the graveyard, I reiterate Maulana Aquil, who had said, ‘we know who to support and who to remove from the seat.”
Mufti Hussaini urged the youth of Khairtabad not to be afraid of tyranny, look the establishment in the eye, and put forward their rightful demands. He urged them to pray and protest.
Even though, several clerics criticize political leaders in their speeches at Makkah Masjid, such a fierce frontal attack from the pulpits of smaller masjids is unusual.
After jumping ship, from the Congress to BRS, Nagender wrested the Khairtabad seat from BJP’s Chintala Ramchandra Reddy in the 2019 Assembly polls.
As of January 2022, the Khairtabad AC recorded a total electorate of over 2.85 lakh voters, of which about 1.50 lakh are male, and 1.36 lakh are female. The Muslim vote is pegged at approximately 1.20 lakh.
Soon after the video clips went viral, another video surfaced in which Nagender was seen speaking to Telangana State Wakf Board officials. The clip showed Nagender being in favour of having a joint-survey with the TSWB and revenue officials.
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