A new subject, a very sensitive subject to boot, Beef, has become the poll-plank in GHMC elections, for the first time.
MIM supremo and Hyderabad MP, Asaduddin Owaisi cautioned Muslims of Hyderabad that they would have to forgo the beef if the BJP wins the elections for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Addressing an election rally this afternoon, Asad called upon the Muslim electorate to ensure that Mumbai development did not take place in Hyderabad where BJP emerged ruling party.
” If MIM is defeated in the election, I am telling you-the members of minority community will have to forget about eating beef,” Owaisi said. He recalled what happened in Mumbai.
“The BJP has banned beef in Mumbai. Beef was banned for a week there. Since Modi took power as Prime Minister, the quantity of beef exported from India has gone up. And if my sources are right, beef export has gone up by 17 per cent. What is Modi doing about it,” he said.
This extreme religious sentimental turn of MIM leader is the result of the post-Telangana politics of Hyderabad.
.MIM, which has been ruling the old city of Hyderabad as Nawab, is for first time facing tough fight. In the past, when the Old City party was with Congress, life was comfortable and its only enemy was BJP, which was not a big force. Now, having dissociated itself with Congress, the MIM had invited the wrath of the grand old party, which definitely commands some respect among a section of Muslim community. And also, the community too has soft corner for the Congress . Against this backdrop, split in the Muslim vote bank looks imminent. On one side, the BJP has become aggressive due to the moral support it has got from the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, on the other side it has to fight the Congress as well, which has popular Muslim leaders in its fold. Similarly the party has no tie up with TRS. Both agreed to face friendly contests. If TRS makes inroads into Old city by winning few seats, it would diminish the importance of MIM in its own sanctuary. So, bipolarism is the only remedy to overcome the danger of getting lost in the post-Telangana politics for MIM. To make the presence of Congress and TRS insignificant, MIM has raised the specter of BJP and threat to the non- availability of beef. If this works out, Old City would be divided into Hindu and Muslim communities and where , according to Asad, only two parties fight the election at the exclusion of other political forces like Congress, TRS etc. This Asad believes would help MIM win the election.
Against the backdrop of Hyderabad Central University Dalit student’s struggle, Asad’s appeal against BJP would embolden the dalits old city and Hyderabad to vote for MIM. Asad’s visit to HCU was also a calculated move to make common cause with dalits. Because, as for Hyderabad is concerned, as of now, what Asad wants convey is ” enemy’s enemy is friend”.
It may be recalled here that recently, BJP and its allies spoiled the proposed beef festival by dalit students of Osmania University
