The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Chaos at meet to distribute loans

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Chaos at meet to distribute loans

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 29. High-pitched slogan shouting by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and Congress supporters disrupted a meeting convened to distribute education loans among students from minority communities, leading to its cancellation here on Tuesday. As soon as the meeting commenced with the arrival of the Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, MIM supporters started raising slogans denouncing the Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation Chairman, Farooq Hussain, allegedly for not inviting the MIM MP, Asaduddin Owaisi.

They claimed that Mr. Owaisi was responsible for getting the money released for the scholarship and Congress leaders were ignoring him for political reasons. Led by the Asif Nagar MLA, Mouzam Khan, MIM supporters surrounded the podium and continued with their slogan shouting. This prompted supporters of Mr. Hussain and that of the Minority Welfare Minister, Mohd. Fareeduddin, to rush to the dais, leading to bedlam.

Ministers leave venue

With the public address system of Jubilee Hall being used to hurl allegations against not only the office-bearers of the corporation but also Mr. Fareeduddin and the Chief Minister, the two Ministers left the venue abruptly. A notable feature was that not a single policeman was to be seen in the hall during the 20 minutes while the sparring political activists surrounded the two Ministers. Later, speaking to newsmen, Mr. Farooq Hussain said that according to protocol he had invited the Secunderabad MP, Anjan Kumar Yadav, and the Asif Nagar MLA, Moazam Khan. He claimed that the function was disrupted since he had stopped political activists from the Old City from "brokering" loans sanctioned by the corporation.

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