BJP Chief Criticises Revanth Reddy Over Comparison of AIMIM Leaders With Modi, Shah

State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Friday criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for equating AIMIM leaders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Speaking to media persons, Mr. Rao described the comparison as absurd and questioned the basis on which the Chief Minister was issuing certificates of patriotism to the Owaisi brothers.

Mr. Rao stated that leaders such as Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah were true patriots. He demanded that the Chief Minister explain why he considered the Owaisi brothers patriotic, while urging both Mr. Revanth Reddy and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to clarify what patriotism meant to them and where they drew the line in defining it.

According to the State BJP president, patriotism fundamentally involves showing respect to national symbols, including the national flag, the national anthem, and the national song. He maintained that adherence to these symbols is essential to any claim of national loyalty.

Referring to AIMIM legislators, Mr. Rao alleged that none of the party's MLAs, including its top leadership, stood up when Vande Mataram was sung in the State Assembly. In that context, he stated that it was laughable to describe the Owaisi brothers as patriots.

Mr. Rao further claimed that conferring such recognition on the AIMIM leadership amounted to a gross insult to the citizens of the country. While he welcomed Mr. Revanth Reddy's acknowledgement of the patriotism of Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah, he accused the Congress of engaging in appeasement politics to gain the support of the AIMIM.

Challenging the ruling party, Mr. Rao asserted that if the Congress wanted to demonstrate its patriotism, it should ensure the full rendition of Vande Mataram in the Assembly.