 "Owaisi hits out at Rahul over his allegation of AIMIM taking money from BJP")
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegation that the AIMIM takes money from the BJP and fields candidates against the Congress in various states.
Owaisi alleged that Gandhi makes such allegation against him because of the latter's hatred towards his religious identity.
Addressing a public meeting at Sangareddy near here Thursday night, he took strong exception to Gandhi's accusation that the AIMIM, after taking money from the BJP, fields candidates wherever the Congress is fighting the BJP.
Gandhi is parroting what someone has given to him in writing, he claimed.
The AIMIM leader asked Gandhi how much money did he take to lose the elections from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
"Did you (Rahul) take money from BJP to lose elections in 2014 and 2019?" he asked.
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"Rahul Gandhi, you make these accusations because my name is Asaduddin. Because, I have beard on my face and wear skull cap, that's why you make allegations of taking money against me.... It is your hatred against this name and you have hatred against those donning beard and skull cap. That's why you make the allegations," he said.
"Your friend (Jyotiraditya) Scindia joined the BJP but you don't tell him he took money. Your friend Jitin Prasada, who too joined BJP, you don't tell him he took money to join BJP," he said.
On Gandhi's remarks that the Congress would give back to people the corrupt money taken from people by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Owaisi said the Congress leader has "become Modi 2".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised in 2014 to deposit Rs 15 lakh in "everyone's account", the AIMIM leader claimed, adding that not even 15 paise came.
Targeting the AIMIM, Gandhi, during his poll rallies in Telangana, alleged on Wednesday that the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party fields candidates wherever the Congress fights the BJP by taking money from the saffron party.
"Wherever we go to fight the elections... Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tripura, wherever Congress party fights with BJP, MIM party takes money from BJP and puts up candidates there," he had claimed.
Assembly elections in Telangana are slated for November 30.