"NDA not strong against Hindu accused in blast cases": Asad Owaisi

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today alleged that the Narendra Modi government is "not strong" against those accused in bomb blast cases who are Hindus. "When it comes to the issue of bomb blasts, whether it is Malegaon, Hyderabad Mecca Masjid and Ajmer, they (BJP-led NDA government) are not being strong on those accused just because they happened to be from (the) majority community," he said while discussing his assessment of the Modi government's two years in office. The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad also said: "They (BJP) promised 1.20 crore jobs to youngsters every year. Hardly, five lakh jobs were created. They promised that prices would come down. Prices are skyrocketing, whether it's pulses or other essential commodities." Despite the price of crude sliding to USD 35 a barrel as compared to USD 85-90 when the BJP came to power, retail prices of petrol and diesel have not come down, he said, adding that the government has increased excise duty more than eight times. "On the economic front, no policy at all. On containing inflation, no. BJP has failed to deliver on these promises," Owaisi told PTI. Reacting to whether India is moving towards a "Congress- Mukt Bharat" as suggested by BJP as the party fared badly in the recent round of Assembly elections, he said: "...It is for the Congress party to decide because they want to tackle BJP, but they moved a resolution of suspension of (AIMIM MLA) Waris Pathan for not saying that slogan ('Bharat Mata Ki Jai') in Maharashtra Assembly." "It's the Congress party which moved the motion (on Pathan's suspension). So, it's for them to decide. That's why not knowing what to do, Congress party, whether in Telangana or Maharashtra, people (Congress) themselves are confused on what stand to take," Owaisi added.