[Press Statement]
Members of the Hyderabad Forum for Telangana, Telangana Development Forum-India, and Telangana Information Trust hereby declare that the statement issued by Asaduddin Owaisi of the MIM that the TRS has sought its support for the election of its MLC candidate Mohammed Ali on the grounds that he is a minority candidate, and the statement made by K.T. Rama Rao of the TRS on television, has pained all those people who have been working selflessly for Telangana.
As a matter of principle, We the people of Telangana do not want any electoral victory in the name of Telangana with the support of communal elements such as the BJP and the MIM. We would like to remind the TRS that the Muslims of Telangana, especially in the districts, have thrown all their support behind the TRS inspite of the opposition by the MIM to Telangana and to the TRS.
At a time when the entire world is aghast and repulsed at the hate speeches of Akbaruddin Owaisi and Praveen Togadia, and when several people have appealed to the courts in this matter, it is not prudent on the part of the TRS to have any sort of alliance or seek assistance from the BJP or the MIM simply for electoral gains and at the cost of weakening the secular nature of the Telangana movement.
An understanding between the TRS and MIM will alienate all Muslims of Telangana who have been working selflessly for Telangana especially in districts such as Karimnagar where the TRS leader K.Chandrashekhar Rao won with a thumping majority. In fact, such a move will alienate all secular Hindus and Muslims who are supporting the movement for Telangana. The people of Telangana do not wish their region and state to have any communal association and prefer the movement to be secular.
We would like to remind the TRS that since 1969, the MIM has been opposing the formation of Telangana and continues to do so by creating hurdles at every step towards the realisation of the goal of statehood. Nobody can forget the role played by Asaduddin Owaisi in accompanying YSR as a campaigner against K. Chandrashekhar Rao and Telangana, and the MIM’s alliance with the YSR Congress Party which is reflected in their preference for a Rayala-Telangana state. Despite this, the Muslims of Telangana stand solidly behind the TRS and Telangana. They cannot be betrayed now. The BJP on the other hand, has extended its support for Telangana but backed out once due to its own electoral compulsions. We call upon all secular forces of Telangana to strengthen the movement in the days to come.
JAI TELANGANA!
Statement Issued by Burgula Vijay Kumar
For
Hyderabad Forum for Telangana / Telangana Development Forum India / Telangana Information Trust