New Delhi, June 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday rebuked his deputy G Kishan Reddy for calling Hyderabad city a "terror hub". Amit Shah, who took charge as Home Minister, reportedly pulled up Kishan Reddy for making the controversial remarks. Reddy and Nityanand Rai have been appointed as Minister of State for Home and are deputy to Amit Shah.

Kishan Reddy described Hyderabad as a safe zone for terror and said people from Myanmar and Bangladesh were staying in the Old City illegally. "Wherever in the county, a terrorist incident happens, its roots are in Hyderabad," Reddy, MP from Secunderabad, told a newspaper on Friday. He also called Hyderabad a terror safe zone.

His remarks drew sharp reactions from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi who represents the Hyderabad parliamentary seat. "He has spoken in a disgraceful manner even before taking charge. Talking like this in an irresponsible manner does not suit a minister. But we expect them to talk like this because wherever they (BJP) see Muslims, they see terrorists," Owaisi retorted.

As political controversy broke out, Reddy clarified that he never said that all Muslims are terrorist. However, the MoS stood firm on his comment about Hyderabad. "There are places in the country where terror activities are on a rise. If an incident takes place in Bengaluru or Bhopal, its roots are traced to Hyderabad. State police, NIA have arrested terrorists in Hyderabad every 2-3 months. I didn't say anything wrong," the BJP leader said. Asaduddin Owaisi Jabs Narendra Modi Says If You Care for Minorities, Ensure Muslims Aren't Lynched.

The Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) also denounced Reddy's statement saying it sent out a wrong message. "The statements given by the newly appointed Minister of State for Home, G Kishan Reddy, categorizing Hyderabad as a safe zone for terror sends a very wrong signal to investors and businesses which are planning to invest in the state," TRS leader Abid Rasool Khan told ANI.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2019 04:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).