Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi backed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and maintained that he would protect reservations and Constitution.
Mr. Owaisi, who is the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), was speaking at a public meeting late on Wednesday night, and said, “Jagan Mohan Reddy, if he wins, I am certain he will continue reservations in Andhra, and will try to protect the Constitution.”
The Hyderabad parliamentarian criticised Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu and sought to know that given the party’s alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would Mr. Naidu ever dare to disagree with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s opposition to reservations for Muslims.
The AIMIM has been supportive of the YSRCP. The AIMIM president expressed his support for Mr. Reddy, and his opposition to TDP chief Mr Naidu, in the past as well.
In a separate development, and at a different public meeting, AIMIM floor leader and Chandrayangutta legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi too touched upon the reservation issue. He asserted that reservations for Muslims were based on caste, and not religion. He said that while on the one hand the BJP speaks of pasmandas, but on the other hand, opposes these reservations which are given to these very pasmanda groups.
