Don’t reopen the wounds: Akbar

MIM leader slams Nizam bashers

• Lists developments done under Nizam
• Says Union Govt had conferred on him ‘Raj Pramukh’ title for his services
• Questions why Seema with most CMs from there remained backward
• Naidu says what Nizam had done in 400 years, he had done in 9 years

Hyderabad: Claiming that he was a successor of Nizam’s dynasty, the AIMIM (All India Majlis –e- Ittehadul Muslimeen) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi on Monday took on the Congress and the TDP for criticising Nizam’s rule, during the debate on AP Reorganisation Bill-2013.

Participating in the debate in the Assembly, he said he failed to understand as to why the Seemandhra leaders criticised Nizam. Nizam had nothing to do with the merger or bifurcation of the State. Criticism Nizam would not help them in stopping the process of T formation. It was a ploy by Seemandhra leaders to deviate from the discussion on State bifurcation by raising Nizam rule, he said.

“Don’t reopen the wounds, if done, it will hurt the Muslims, the Hindus and everyone else,” he warned. Listing out all the development -- industries, educational institutions and so on during the Nizam period in the erstwhile Hyderabad state before its merger with Telangana in 1948, Owaisi said Hyderabad State was surplus in all respects before its merger. Nizam also proved to be secular by donating money for the construction of temples and promotion of Telugu language. Though Hyderabad was a Urdu speaking state, people never demanded a separate state on linguistic basis like others, but wanted to respect Urdu.

Demanding that Seemandhra leaders explain the reasons behind the backwardness of Rayalaseema region even after majority of the State Chief ministers hailed from the region, he said Hyderabad was a developed city in the country even before the merger. Owaisi also demanded that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy explain whether he supported the Seemandhra leader’s criticism against Nizam rule.

In a quick reaction, Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that what the Nizam had developed in 400 years, he had done during his 9-year regime. Taking strong exception to Naidu’s claim, Owaisi said the TDP would have come to power in 2004 and 2009 if the party had developed the State like the city. People kept the party away from power through their ballot. TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy said his party had demanded an apology from Gujarat Chief Minister Narednra Modi on Godhra carnage. It was MIM which had created communal tension during Chief Minister M Chenna Reddy’s regime with the help of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekar Reddy. The Majlis party also opposed the election of APJ Abdul Kalam as President.

Another TDP MLA D Narendra said his party had no objection to supporting Nizam rule by MIM and also the TRS. The development done during Nizam rule in Hyderabad was at the cost of public money. Nizam sold out ceded districts for money, he alleged.

Reacting to it, Owaisi said the Nizam was also given the title “Raj Pramukh’ by the Union Government after the merger, recognising his services.