'Most riots under their rule’: BJP slams Revanth Reddy’s ‘Muslims mean Congress’ remark; calls it vote-bank politics

NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Janta Party on Thursday hit out at Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy for his remark, "Congress means Muslims and Muslims mean Congress," accusing the state's ruling party of engaging in vote-bank politics.

State BJP president N Ramchander Rao said that the chief minister was “frustrated” and speaking in the same tone as the AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi.

“Most communal riots happened under Congress rule. How can he say Congress means Muslims? This is a communal and objectionable statement. He only wants Muslim votes and is not thinking of Hindu voters,” Rao told PTI.


He also took a dig at the chief minister for wearing a cap, saying he had become "Revanth Uddin” during his campaign.


Earlier in the day, chief minister Reddy, while addressing a campaign rally, defended his decision to induct former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin into the state cabinet saying, “The Congress government has always given opportunities to minorities. Congress means Muslims and Muslims mean Congress."

Also read: 'Vote chori proof': Opposition attacks Rakesh Sinha, BJP leaders for voting in two states; RSS ideologue hits back

The Jubilee Hills bypoll was necessitated after the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June due to a heart attack. While Gopinath’s widow Sunita is contesting on a BRS ticket, the BJP has fielded Deepak Reddy. The Congress candidate Naveen Yadav is also backed by AIMIM.

A day earlier, the Telangana chief minister, wearing a white topi and accompanied by AIMIM MLA Kausar Mohiuddin and corporator Rasheed Farazuddin, appealed to minority voters to teach both Modi and KCR a fitting lesson. “This is not just Naveen Yadav of the Congress versus Maganti Sunitha of the BRS. It is Modi and KCR on one side, and Revanth, Rahul Gandhi, and Asaduddin Owaisi on the other,” he said.
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