All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the AIMIM takes money from the BJP and fields candidates against the Congress in various states, reported PTI.

Owaisi alleged that Gandhi made such an allegation against him because of his hatred towards his religious identity.

“Rahul Gandhi, you make these accusations because my name is Asaduddin. Because I have a beard on my face and wear skull cap, that’s why you make allegations of taking money against me….” the AIMIM chief said during a public rally in Hyderabad. “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.”

Gandhi made the allegation against the AIMIM during a poll rally in Telangana’s Kalwakurthy on Wednesday.

“Wherever we go to fight the elections… Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tripura, wherever the Congress party fights with the BJP, MIM party takes money from the BJP and puts up candidates there,” the former Congress chief had said.

On Thursday, Owaisi, in his response, alleged that Gandhi was “parroting” what was provided to him in writing.

He asked Gandhi how much money did he take to lose the elections from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“Did you (Rahul) take money from BJP to lose elections in 2014 and 2019?” he asked, according to PTI.

He added: “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.”

The 119-member Telangana legislative assembly will vote in a single phase on November 30, 2023.