Hyderabad: Congress leader Mohammad Feroz Khan has strongly criticised AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi’s recent challenge to Rahul Gandhi, in which Owaisi invited Gandhi to contest from the Hyderabad constituency.
Feroz Khan pointed out that during the rule of the Congress, significant changes were made to the parliamentary constituency of Hyderabad. The boundaries were redrawn, resulting in the exclusion of Chevarla, Tandur, and Vikarabad assembly constituencies, while the assembly constituencies within the city were included. Consequently, Hyderabad became a reserved constituency for AIMIM.
Feroz Khan went on to highlight the historical ties between AIMIM and Congress. He mentioned that former MIM president Abdul Wahid Owaisi had initially won as a Congress candidate in a councillor seat.
Additionally, he noted that former President Salahuddin Owaisi had consistently been aligned with Congress, and Darussalam was handed over to AIMIM with Congress approval.
Khan contended that the success of AIMIM representatives in securing the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was often due to Congress support.
In recent years, Asaduddin Owaisi has diverged from the political tradition of his father and grandfather, adopting an opposing stance towards Congress and aligning with BJP. Khan questioned this shift, highlighting that Owaisi was part of the UPA-1 and UPA-2 alliances and had close ties with former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
Feroz Khan challenged Asaduddin Owaisi to contest against Rahul Gandhi in Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, highlighting the need for self-reflection and accountability.
He expressed disappointment with Owaisi’s alignment with KCR and BJP, stating that it contradicts the party’s history. According to Khan, Congress played a significant role in the growth of AIMIM and urged Owaisi to acknowledge this rather than blame Congress for various issues.
