‘Will rid Hyderabad of Nizami culture, turn it into Mini Bharat’: Amit Shah

KEY STORY

• Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday vowed to get Hyderabad rid of the culture of Nizam, who had once sought to merge the city with Pakistan.

• Shah, who held an hour-long road show at Warasiguda in Secunderabad as part of campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections to be held on December 1, said Hyderabad had become an integral part of India, thanks to first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Give one chance to the BJP in the GHMC elections. We shall transform from dynasty rule to democratic rule, from corruption to good governance, from secrecy to transparency. We shall transform Hyderabad into a Mini Bharat and not be stuck in Nawabi and Nizami culture,” Shah said, while speaking to reporters at the BJP at the party state headquarters after the roadshow.

• Reacting to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s comment that several BJP leaders were flooding Hyderabad to campaign for the gully elections only to attack him, the Union home minister said they had come to improve the conditions in Hyderabad, not to attack somebody.

“The BJP will not undermine any election, whether they are gully or national elections. We have come to Hyderabad because you don’t come out of your farmhouse and your government has not cleaned up even a single gully,” he said.

• Referring to the allegations that the BJP ministers had not come to call on people when Hyderabad was in floods and the Modi government had not given a single rupee towards flood relief, Shah sought to know whether KCR or All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders had visited any flood-affected areas.

“The chief minister did not come out of his bungalow, when the adjacent colonies were reeling under flood water,” he said.

• He reminded that the Centre had given Rs 500 crore to Telangana under state and central disaster relief funds.

• The Centre had also given Rs 4,500 crore for various infrastructure development works in Hyderabad. “Perhaps he doesn’t know about this, because he doesn’t go to the Secretariat,” Shah said.

CONCLUSION

• The Union minister alleged that in the last six years, AIMIM leaders had indulged in large scale encroachment of nalas, lakes and other water fronts, that resulted in the recent deluge in the city.

“But the TRS government has remained silent as it sought to appease the MIM. Not even one storm water drain was constructed in the last six years. If BJP is voted to power in the GHMC, we shall demolish all illegal structures,” he asserted.

• Reacting to MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi’s question as to what the Centre was doing when Rohingyas were staying illegally in the country, Shah said everybody had watched on television sets as to who had made a hue and cry in Parliament, when the Centre was bringing a bill to repatriate Rohigyas.

“Let Owaisi give it in writing. We shall drive away Rohingyas immediately,” he said.

• On the allegations that the TRS that the BJP were playing divisive politics, the Union minister said the allegation should be directed at the MIM.

“Owaisi knows who wanted to merge Hyderabad with Pakistan. We don’t appease anybody, but serve everybody. All our welfare schemes are meant for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, irrespective of whether they are Hindus or Muslims,” he said.

• Shah said the BJP was not contesting the GHMC election to increase its vote share or seat share, but with an aim of winning the Mayor’s seat. “Our goal is to come to power in the next Telangana elections,” he said.