Hyderabad: Amid CAA row, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the Bhagyalakshmi Temple in Charminar, Hyderabad, and offered prayers on Tuesday in a gesture that speaks of symbolism and substance as BJP gears up to kick up Lok Sabha poll campaign in the southern state.
Significantly, the day coincides with the announcement of Union Home Ministry, which is helmed by Shah, to celebrate September 17 as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day'.
Another highlight was that Shah accompanied BJP leader Madhavi Latha, who is fielded against sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi, a known critic of the BJP-led central government for its CAA push. The Union minister was facilitated by the priests at the temple.
Shah's visit to Hyderabad was marked by a meeting with local BJP leaders. He had a session with BJP IT cell members where he instructed them to create a saffron wave in the state using social media to brighten its prospect of seats in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls. He also instructed state BJP leaders to mobilise 'IT warriors' for the general elections. Shah met them at a private function hall and later, addressed polling booth level leaders at L.B. Stadium.
Incidentally, Shah whose party BJP is making invoking religious sentiments locally with emphasis on local deities in states, is visiting the temple for the second time in three months.
During his visit to the city in December, Shah raised 'Hindutva' pitch saying his party wanted to liberate Hyderabad from the 'Nawab Nizam' culture and develop it as a modern city.
The BJP leader, who had conducted a roadshow and visited Bhagyalakshmi temple abutting Charminar, slammed both Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) for pursuing 'family politics.'
The BJP often highlights 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' to rake up sentiments of Hindus in Hyderabad, a city with a sizeable Muslim population. Union Home Ministry's Tuesday's notification, said Hyderabad did not get independence for 13 months after India's independence on August 15, 1947 and was under the rule of the Nizams.
The region was liberated from Nizam's rule on September 17, 1948 after police action namely 'Operation Polo'. Whereas, there has been a demand from the people of the region that 17th September may be celebrated as Hyderabad Liberation Day.
The BJP has made its intention clear for the Lok Sabha polls for Hyderabad going ahead with an aggressive pitch fielding Madhavi Lata, who is known for her pro-Hindutva rhetoric. Like Owaisi, Madhavi Lata runs hospitals in the city.
The party has for the first time fielded a woman against the four-time Hyderabad MP Owaisi. The battle for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat will be mainly between Kompella Madhavi Latha, who has campaigned against triple talaq, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi who has called the triple talaq law unconstitutional.
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