Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Aug 17 (IANS) Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi Friday assured people of the northeast region living in Hyderabad of protection and advised them not to leave the city.

The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad told them that they are equal citizens of India, free to live here.

Addressing a gathering at the historic Mecca Masjid here on the occasion of Jumatulvida or last Friday of Ramadan, the MP said he visited Anjaiahnagar and Siddiqnagar areas and reassured people from the northeast.

“I told them we are not like Bodo militants who rendered four lakh Muslims homeless in Assam. We will protect you,” he said.

Owaisi alleged that the rumours were a conspiracy of the Sangh Parivar and appealed to people not to fall prey to their designs.

The MIM chief wondered why police failed to trace the elements behind the SMSes and offered to crack the case in four hours if the 48-hour call data record of all service providers was given to him.

Owaisi, who visited relief camps in Assam last week, urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to rehabilitate four lakh people who were made refugees in their own country.

The MP reiterated his remark made in Parliament that refugees in Assam could take to militancy. “Even if 25 youth become militants they can become a threat to all of us and to the entire country,” he cautioned.

He condemned BJP leader L.K. Advani’s statement that the refugees were Bangladeshi and reminded him that he too came from Pakistan.

“They are all Indians and will always remain Indians. Why should anyone fear that if any district in Assam becomes Muslim majority, it will join Bangladesh? We will sacrifice our lives but we will not allow even a single district to become part of Bangladesh,” he said.

“I have never seen such devastation. Those rendered homeless have only one set of clothes, the ones they have on. Thousands of women are malnourished and children suffer from various diseases,” said Owaisi while sharing his experiences in Assam.

The MIM leader said he also visited Bodo relief camps and distributed relief. “We don’t discriminate between Bodos and non-Bodos. All are Indians,” he said.

Owaisi announced that MIM would soon send 20,000 packets containing milk powder for children, iron-fortified powder for malnourished women and other medical supplies to alleviate the sufferings of those in Assam’s relief camps.