From communal riots to saviour of secularism: Owaisi questions Chandrababu Naidu's unified Opposition initiative

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen Party president Asaduddin Owaisi attacked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu over his attempt to create an anti-BJP front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election and Telelanga Assembly elections 2018.

Owaisi accused the TDP chief of supporting the 2002 Gujarat riots. He further claimed that there were several communal riots in AP during Naidu's tenure as CM.

“@ncbn supported BJP when Gujrat Pogrom happened in 2002,was part of @PMOIndia cabinet while Akhlaq,pahlu khan,Rohit,JUNAID,Aleemuddin where murdered,during his tenure as CM erstwhile AP many communal riots happened,AZIZ & AZAM killed in encounter NOW Saviour of Secularism WAH,” tweeted the Hyderabad MP.

Naidu, who quit the NDA in March this year over the Centre's refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh, has been in talks with leaders of non-BJP parties to put up a united fight against the saffron party.

@ncbn supported BJP when Gujrat Pogrom happened in 2002,was part of @PMOIndia cabinet while Akhlaq,pahlu khan,Rohit,JUNAID,Aleemuddin where murdered,during his tenure as CM erstwhile AP many communal riots happened,AZIZ & AZAM killed in encounter NOW Saviour of Secularism WAH https://t.co/6REDz9AgdE — Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) November 1, 2018

On Thursday, he met Congress President Rahul Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Delhi.

Pawar said Naidu would take the initiative and talk to other non-BJP parties, including the Congress, on formulating a common minimum programme to take on the Modi government.

Gandhi said opposition parties will work together to defeat the BJP to defend India, its institutions and the democracy.