AIMIM opposes Bharat Ratna to PV Narasimha Rao, boycotts Telangana Assembly session

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), on Tuesday, boycotted the proceedings of the Telangana Assembly as the state government unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to confer the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

Hyderabad: Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi led All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) members on Tuesday boycotted the Telangana State Legislative Assembly in which it has unanimously passed a resolution requesting the central government to confer the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

"Our party's stand was clearly stated on the floor of the Assembly on February 15, 2005, when the then Chief Minister Dr Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy had moved the condolence resolution on the demise of the former PM. I may recall that our party's floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had pointed out that the Indian Muslims were still angry with the former PM over the demolition of Babri Masjid," AIMIM MLA and general secretary Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri said.

Quadri said that party or "even history, will not forget the demolition of Babri Masjid, which was caused by Rao's political inaction as the Prime Minister of India."

He alleged that "By remaining a silent spectator to the demolition of Babri Masjid and by allowing the construction of a makeshift temple on December 6, 1992, Narasimha Rao was responsible for the rise of Hindutva forces and majoritarian communalism directed against the minorities in general and Muslims in particular in the country in the last three decades. This paved the way for the NDA government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee during 1998-2004 and again the present BJP government since 2014."

"We do not want to recall Narasimha Rao's actions vis-a-vis the Muslims in the united Andhra Pradesh State when he became the Chief Minister in 1971 after Telangana agitation was ruthlessly suppressed with the killing of 300 youth by the then Congress regime," He added.

AIMIM had earlier stated that it "could never forget the fact that it was during his regime that Babri Masjid at Ayodhya was demolished".

"Simultaneously the AIMIM Legislative members have boycotted today's proceedings in Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council during which the resolution was passed. Our Party Cannot Support resolution and discussion on Centenary Celebrations of Late P.V Narasimha Rao," it said.

The Telangana assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the central government to confer the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

The resolution described the late leader as the son of Telangana and a statesman and said he was the first person from South India to become the Prime Minister of the country. The Telangana government earlier this year launched the birth centenary celebration of Narasimha Rao.

(ANI)