Hyderabad: Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy described the upcoming local body MLC elections as an ideological battle between secular and religious forces. Addressing the media on Sunday, he stated that there are three significant political parties in the state: ‘the Bhai Bhai Ki Party of Majlis’, which holds 49 seats in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC); ‘the Bap Petika Party’ of BRS with 24 seats; and the ‘Beta Beti Party of Congress’, which has 14 corporators. He accused these three parties of colluding to ensure the victory of the Majlis in the MLC elections.

Reddy questioned the very essence of the Majlis, implying that as a “Muslim Unity Party,” it lacks secularism in its ideology.

He challenged whether these parties have the right to speak about Dr B R Ambedkar when they support the Majlis, which he claims undermines the principles of secularism. Reddy also criticised the BRS for not contesting in the MLC elections, noting that Ambedkar emphasised national unity rather than religious unity. He suggested that the Congress and BRS support for the Muslim Unity Party is motivated purely by political gain.

He expressed disapproval of MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, stating, “Urdu is a respectable language. However, the manner in which an educated barrister like Owaisi uses abusive language in Urdu against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is highly objectionable.”

The BJP MP pointed out that BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao had previously used similar abusive language, and the Congress has now become tainted by it. Furthermore, he dismissed Owaisi’s claims at an anti-Waqf meeting concerning Dr B R Ambedkar’s legacy. According to Reddy, Ambedkar should have supported the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which benefits Dalits who were stranded in Pakistan during the partition by offering them Indian citizenship. He argued that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the scrapping of Article 370 are not religion-related matters.

Regarding the Waqf Board, he said the Waqf Board properties have failed to generate adequate income despite their significant land holdings. He noted that in Islamic countries like Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, Waqf is considered a state subject, leading him to question how the Majlis misleads Muslims on this issue.

He emphasised that Ambedkar never supported separate laws for different religions and urged BRS and Congress corporators to vote in the MLC elections according to their conscience. “This is a battle between those who support national unity and those who advocate for the unity of only select groups,” he concluded.