India needs third alternative sans BJP, Congress, says Owaisi

Hyderabad, Aug 15 (IANS) AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi said on Friday that India needs a third alternative apart from BJP and Congress.

He believes that India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) can’t be a third alternative.

“The Congress ruled the country for 50 years and the BJP for nearly 18 years. The country needs a third government, apart from BJP and Congress. Then only something really good can happen in this country,” the Hyderabad MP told a news conference

Replying to a query, he made it clear that AIMIM will not go with INDIA.

“We will fight our own battle,” he said and dubbed INDIA as a club of big chowdaries. He remarked that an elite type of Chowdhary is sitting there ‘who abuse us’.

Owaisi also pointed out that several parties including Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), KCR’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), parties from Assam, Rajasthan and other states are not part of INDIA. 

The MP also wanted to know what is the agenda of INDIA. He recalled that the same Congress party had supported the BJP government to strengthen UAPA and said that because of this support by Congress a large number of people were languishing in jails.

To another query about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidates, Owaisi remarked that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao should not be underestimated.

“Don’t underestimate KCR, his capability, his foresight and political sagacity,” he said.

Owaisi said before KCR came to power, farmers’ suicides were rampant in Telangana and there was shortage of water for irrigation and drinking and there was electricity problem.

“These problems have been addressed. Suicides have come down. Farmers are getting free power. The country needs this vision,” he said.

The AIMIM chief was all praise for KCR for rebuilding the mosque demolished during construction of the new State Secretariat.

“Show me one instance where a government demolished a mosque and rebuilt it,” he said and recalled that Congress never fulfilled its word to reconstruct Babri Masjid.

He also lauded the BRS government for Shadi Mubarak scheme under which financial assistance is being provided for the marriage of poor Muslim girls. He said over 60,000 Muslim boys and girls were studying in residential educational institutions started by the government.

Owaisi said his party would support whatever good work the government has done. He, however, said AIMIM will contest the elections against BRS and try to win wherever it fields its candidates.