"Drama for votes": Telangana CM Revanth Reddy jabs Navneet Rana over '15-second' remark

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 9 : On BJP leader Navneet Rana's remark in response to AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's provocative statement from 2013, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday said the ruling party at the Centre was resorting to a 'drama' for the sake of 'votes'.
Earlier, campaigning for the BJP's firebrand Hyderabad candidate Madhvi Lata, Navneet issued a stern response to Akbaruddin's 2013 remark that it would take just '15 minutes' for his community to show what it could do to ensure demographic balance in the country, saying "it would take us 15 seconds (to strike back) if the police were removed or made to stand down".
Speaking to ANI on Thursday, CM Reddy said, "I don't remember this (Akbaruddin's statement) but it appears that they are making such desperate statements to distract the public as they know that they are not getting enough votes. However, the people of Telangana are very smart and intelligent and cannot be fooled by such provocative statements that are meant merely to catch votes. This is nothing but a drama for votes. I would advise the BJP leaders to stop all this drama to grab votes."
On Navneet's remarks that every vote cast in favour of the AIMIM and its Hyderabad candidate Asadudin Owaisi, as well as the Congress, was a vote for 'Pakistan', the Telangana CM said all Muslims in the country are true patriots.
"How can they make such statements? They will gain nothing by using such language. Such lowly remarks aren't good for the country. All our Muslim brothers and sisters are proud Indians and true patriots. Doing politics in the name of Hindus and Muslims is not right. These are cheap tricks to win the elections but the people are not going to fall for such ploys this time," Reddy said.
On Navneet's claim that the Congress has put up a 'dummy candidate' in Hyderabad as it is providing clandestine support to the AIMIM, the CM said the BJP, too, fielded 'dummy candidates' against Owaisi.
"We do run into each other at official events and exchange pleasantries. He heads the AIMIM and is the sitting MP from Hyderabad. There is nothing personal, it was just a courtesy meeting between a CM and an MP at an official event. We get along well with each other and exchange views whenever we meet. I can also say that the BJP has also fielded a dummy candidate (against Owaisi). But such remarks would only lead to more political sparring. They fielded a Hindu candidate against a Muslim leader. They are only doing this to make him win," the CM said.
Invoking a provocative statement by AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi from 2013, BJP leader Navneet Rana issued a veiled warning to the Owaisi brothers in their stronghold of Hyderabad on Wednesday.
To the AIMIM leader's statement that they would take them all of '15 minutes' to balance out the "Hindu-Muslim ratio" in the country, Navneet, who seeking a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Amravati, on a BJP ticket this time; hit back at the Owaisi brothers, saying "it would take us 15 seconds if the police were removed or made to stand down".
"The younger brother says 'Remove the police for 15 minutes so that we can show them what we can do'. I want to tell the younger brother (Akbaruddin) that it might take you 15 minutes, but it will only take us 15 seconds...it will take us all of 15 seconds if we come to the forefront," Rana was heard saying in a video clip she posted on her X handle, tagging the Owaisi brothers.
At a meeting in 2013, Akbaruddin warned "100 crore Hindus" that his community would show what it could do if the police were withdrawn for '15 minutes'.
Voting for all 17 seats in Telangana will take place on May 13 in the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.