Owaisi hits out at Congress-NCP

MALEGAON: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and Telangana legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi hit out at the Congress-NCP alliance government in the state here on Friday and said that NCP leader Sharad Pawar's promise to upgrade the status of Malegaon to a district was a mere poll promise.
"Party leaders will fool Malegaon citizens again, by promising them a district if they come to power in the state," said Akbaruddin Owaisi, in a direct reference to the promise Sharad Pawar had made in the city three days ago.
Owaisi made the statement on the sidelines of his party rally organised for party candidate Abdul Malik Yunus Isa. "They have been in power in Maharashtra for most of the time after independence. They are ruling the state for the last ten years in a row. Why have they not fulfilled these promises," he asked.
He said the Congress-NCP ruling alliance has never been honest on the issue of development of minorities, particularly Muslims and said that they were deliberately being ignored in the state.
"There are 1.5 crore Muslims living in Maharashtra. But, the state has sanctioned just Rs 500 crore for them. In Telangana, the Muslim population is mere 40 lakhs. Still, the budget for Muslims there is Rs 1,000 crore," he said.
When asked if he is critical of the Congress, why has his party supported it in Andhra Pradesh and New Delhi, he said the MIM's support to Congress was for the sake of secularism.
Owaisi was given a rousing welcome in Malegaon. A massive crowd followed the MIM leader wherever he went. When he reached the Bada Qabristan mosque at around 1.45 pm to offer the Friday prayers, he could not get off his car, with a big crowd milling around it, and had to go to another mosque.
Party ticket seekers from Jalgaon, Dhule, Nanudrbar and other neighbouring cities also lined up at the farmhouse of Abdul Malik Yunus Isa to meet Owaisi. The MIM is planning to field candidates from 60 seats in the state, and Saturday is the last day for filing nomination papers.