Hyderabad, July 27:
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday accused the Congress-led Telangana government of demolishing a temple in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills to appease Muslim voters ahead of the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election.
Speaking to reporters in Karimnagar, Bandi Sanjay alleged that the Peddamma temple was razed to gain the support of the 30% Muslim electorate in the constituency. “There are temples, mosques, and churches on roads across the state. Why was only the Peddamma temple targeted?” he questioned, demanding that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy apologise and suspend the officials involved.
He further alleged that the Congress government lacked the courage to act similarly against religious structures of other communities and warned that the Hindu community would respond politically.
The BJP leader claimed that the Congress party had betrayed both Hindus and Backward Classes (BCs), branding the party’s 2023 ‘BC Declaration’ as actually a “Muslim Declaration.” He alleged that the Congress plans to grant 10% reservation to Muslims while offering only a 5% hike for BCs.
Bandi Sanjay also accused the Congress of attempting to portray Hindus as a minority in Telangana through “religious appeasement” and claimed that moves were underway to grant 100% BC reservation including Muslims, which he said violates the 50% reservation cap.
He warned that the BJP would strongly oppose any such attempt to include Muslims in the BC quota and prevent similar policies from being implemented nationally.
Responding to Congress leaders calling PM Narendra Modi a “converted BC,” Bandi Sanjay defended Modi’s background, questioning Rahul Gandhi’s own lineage and religious identity, and alleged that Gandhi was trying to “weaken the Hindu community” just like his political ancestors.
