Hyderabad: On Saturday, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday following an intense aerial fight, on his return home, but cautioned against politicising the issue. However, Owaisi, who was attending 61st Foundation day celebrations of the MIM headquarters, Darussalam, here said the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will never support terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed or ISIS.

During his speech hitting out at Pakistan premier Imran Khan for comparing himself with Tipu Sultan, Owaisi said, “Tipu was not against Hindus, but against the enemies of his kingdom”. Khan had made references to the 18th Century king of Mysore and Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, while announcing the release of wing commander Abhinandan in Pakistan Parliament.

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He also slammed Khan for claiming to be a nuclear power. “We (India) have them too. What is he talking about?” Owaisi added. He further urged the Pakistan prime minister to handle its “Lashkar-e-Shaitan” and “Jaish-e-Shaitan” referring to the terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, both believed to be based in Pakistan.

During the same event, he extended unconditional support to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Jagan Mohan Reddy and promised to campaign for the former if invited to Andhra Pradesh. The AIMIM chief exhorted party cadres to rout the two national parties — the Congress and BJP — in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections as both the parties have failed to deliver to the country. An ally of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana, the AIMIM chief said, “I will surely campaign for Reddy in Andhra Pradesh if he invites me”.

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However, the TRS, led by Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao will win 16 MP seats and AIMIM will retain the one in Hyderabad, he said and expressed confidence that Reddy would also win all the seats in Andhra Pradesh. Together, it would be enough to make their voices heard in the national politics by winning about 35 Lok Sabha seats.