The Owaisi brothers, especially Akbaruddin Owaisi, can consider themselves very lucky that they are living in India populated by the peace-loving Hindus.
Time and again, they have spoken derogatorily about Hindus, Hinduism and Hindu gods without absolutely any provocation.
Had they resorted to such kinds of remarks elsewhere in any other country, they would have immediately been cut down to size.
Since they constitute the majority population in Hyderabad, they are under the impression that they are invincible as long as they are holed up in the Old City.
Provoking the Hindus repeatedly and not getting a response in return is probably being interpreted by the Owaisi brothers as a sign of weakness. They are making a serious mistake if they are indeed thinking along those lines.
Lord Krishna forgave Sisupala a hundred times before beheading him with the Sudarshan Chakra. It is precisely this same degree of tolerance imbued in the Hindu race. Therefore, the Owaisi brothers and their followers should not push their luck beyond a point.
Against this backdrop, the Owaisi brothers would be well-advised to remember the history of Hyderabad in 1948 when the State was freed from Nizam’s Rule.
Nearly 40,000 of their community were killed before the Indian Army took control and restored normalcy. And Akbaruddin repeatedly keep asking for the police to be removed for 15 minutes. God forbid!
The MIM is now looking to expand its footprints across the nation and this clearly means more unrest and provocation. It is here that Andhra Pradesh can consider itself lucky.
Following bifurcation, the nuisance of the Owaisi brothers and the poison they emit has been left to Telangana.
And now, the onus is on Andhra Pradesh to ensure that the status quo remains that way and the venom of MIM does not seep into the State.
This will result in a peaceful Andhra Pradesh.
Written By Kiran Sharma
(The author is a senior journalist. Views are personal)