The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday criticised the State Government for not arresting MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi after he returned from London to the city.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu said that Akbaruddin Owaisi should have been arrested after he landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad. He said although Akbaruddin has cited ill-health as the reason for his inability to appear before the Nirmal police station, he looked fresh and healthy when he landed at the airport.
Venkaiah Naidu alleged that despite announcements of severing ties, both the Congress and MIM have maintained their relationship. He said that the arrest was avoided at the instance of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He also alleged that by spreading its activities to the bordering districts, the MIM was trying to reunite the erstwhile Hyderabad State.
Meanwhile, BJP workers burnt the effigy of Akbaruddin Owaisi at Maozamjahi Market for his alleged hate speeches. The BJP activists led by party corporators Vaikuntam and Lal Singh, also staged rasta roko for almost an hour. Later, they were taken into custody by the police and released later.
Talking to reporters, BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreyya demanded that the State Government take stern action against Akbaruddin Owaisi for insulting Hindu Gods while imposing a ban on the MIM. He said that the police was afraid of arresting the MIM leader.