New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Congress leader Udit Raj on Friday said AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s statement that his support is not for the party but for Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy underscores that political equations keep changing at the regional level but not at the national level.
Owaisi had also suggested that Revanth Reddy should govern in his own style and reach out to the people. He expressed his desire to see Hyderabad and Telangana develop under Revanth Reddy’s leadership.
Speaking to IANS, Udit Raj said: “That is regional politics; it is in Telangana. Political equations keep being made and broken, but not at the national level. Many times, regional equations are formed. If, to stop fascist forces and the RSS and the BJP, Revanth Reddy has made a local arrangement there, that is a different matter. But at the national level, there is no talk, nor should there be, because we know how they work towards polarisation.”
Reacting to the controversy over a call by K. Thomas, clergy trustee of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, to make HIV testing mandatory for couples before marriage, Udit Raj said awareness should be spread so that people voluntarily undergo testing.
“Awareness should be spread so that this is tested, and people will do it themselves. HIV is not incurable anymore; it can be prevented. So, an advisory can be issued, but any compulsory requirement by the church that taking a certificate is mandatory is wrong,” he said.
“Yes, an advisory can be issued. We can also issue advisories, and doctors also advise everyone that this is a very dangerous disease, so one should remain cautious about it,” Udit Raj said.
The remarks were made during a family meet organised by the church on August 30, which was attended by at least 1,000 people.
During his address, Thomas expressed his desire to see HIV testing introduced before marriages conducted under the Mar Thoma Church.
–IANS
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