If you ever invite Akbaruddin Owaisi over for tea, well…maybe give him coffee instead.
What’s wrong with a cup of steaming, spicy chai, you wonder? Nothing. It’s just that Akbaruddin, the MLA from Chandrayangutta, sounds rather tired of hearing about it — specifically, in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise from humble origins.
“Today, you are competing with us and asking us what have we done? But what have you done?” Akbaruddin asked at a rally in Hyderabad, apparently addressing Modi’s BJP. “Every time, you speak about chai, chai, and only chai,” he said.
“[When asked about] demonetisation, you say hard tea, soft tea, tea kettle, tea water, tea stove….Is he [Modi] the prime minister or something else?”
“He was a tea-seller in the past,” Akbaruddin said, “but now he is the PM. Behave like a PM now.”
Akbaruddin, 48, is from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party (AIMIM). Its leader is his older brother, Asaduddin Owaisi.
Telangana will hold its assembly election this weekend, on December 7. The results of the vote, as well as those of four other state elections, will be declared on December 11.
If you love the thrill of counting day, make sure you stock up on snacks. And also…er, tea.