Telangana CM's comments 'Cong means Muslims' kicks up row, BJP calls it 'highly objectionable'
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Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Thursday hit out at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for his comments that "Congress means Muslims and Muslims means Congress", saying the grand old party is indulging in vote bank politics.
Rao further alleged that CM Reddy is "frustrated" and that the Congress is speaking the language of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM.
"Maximum communal riots took place under Congress rule. So how can he say that Congress means Muslims? However, this is a communal thing, highly objectionable. I think the chief minister is frustrated because he is going to lose the election (Jubilee Hills bypoll). Therefore, he only wants Muslim votes, he is not thinking of the Hindu votes," the BJP leader told PTI.
Addressing a campaign rally here on Thursday, the CM criticised Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy for opposing the recent induction of former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin into the Council of Ministers.
What is Kishan Reddy's problem if a leader belonging to minorities was made a minister, he had asked.
"The Congress government provided many opportunities to minorities. It was only Congress that gave big posts to the minorities. Congress means Muslims and Muslims means Congress," Reddy had said.
Earlier, speaking to PTI Videos, Rao alleged that Reddy was indulging in Muslim appeasement to gain the votes of the community in the November 11 bypoll to Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency here.
Reddy, who was also wearing a cap, had become "Revanth Uddin" during his campaign, for the sake of votes of 20 per cent of Muslims, he claimed.
"It is clear that his (Reddy) comments are vote bank politics. He says Muslims get respect because of Congress. Congress did not ensure respect for Muslims. In fact, Congress hurts the respect of Muslims by treating them as vote bank. It is important whether Congress is ensuring education, medical facilities, livelihood opportunities and housing to Muslims or not," Rao said.
The BRS is also following the same policies and both parties are ignoring 80 per cent Hindus for the sake of 20 per cent votes of Muslims, he alleged.
The bypoll is necessitated due to the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year, following a heart attack.
While the BJP has fielded Deepak Reddy, Gopinath’s widow Sunita is the BRS candidate. The ruling Congress’ candidate is also supported by the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
