BJP against giving oppn status to ruling TRS' ally AIMIM

BJP Telangana unit president K Laxman Wednesday opposed any move to grant opposition status for AIMIM in the state assembly, saying it would amount to "killing democracy" as the party is an ally of the ruling TRS.

"Giving opposition status to a party that contested in alliance with ruling party amounts to murdering democracy. If that happens, we will play the role of opposition outside assembly and through our member in the assembly," he told reporters here.

He was asked about reports that AIMIM may get the main opposition party status in the assembly in the wake of Congress' strength falling to six, one less than AIMIM, after 12 of its MLAs merged with TRS.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier said his party would submit a representation to the Speaker, seeking opposition leader post to his party.

Laxman said his party would stand by people and intensify its campaign on people's issues.

"We will be on the side of people. Telangana people are watching that Majlis (AIMIM) is functioning as B Team of TRS. People cannot get justice with Majlis and TRS. So, we will step up our fight on people's issues," he said.

BJP is represented in the assembly by T Raja Singh.

Laxman also said he would present a report to party Chief Amit Shah on the "overall developments" of the party in the state, its growth and future, in meetings to be held at Delhi during the next two days.

According to him, Telangana is the state with potential where BJP can come to power in the south after Karnataka.

TDP has "disappeared" and Congress was a "sinking ship" in the state, he claimed.

Laxman, who welcomed some leaders from TDP into the party fold, said BJP's win in Nizamabad in the recent Lok Sabha polls was historic.

BJP nominee D Arvind defeated sitting TRS MP and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha in Nizamabad.

The victory gave a "new oxygen" to BJP in Telangana, h said, appreciating party activists from Nizamabad.

In his press conference earlier, Laxman said BJP was chalking out a protest programme against schools in the city and elsewhere in Telangana which were collecting fees in violation of rules and framed their own syllabus or prescribed books on their own.

He expressed serious concern over rising fees in various schools and the burden on children in the form of heavy school bags.