Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's remarks in Parliament, seeking to connect him and his brother, an MLA, to Thursday's terror attack was "unfortunate and irresponsible".

"Swaraj can hate me, but she should have waited for the investigations to conclude before politically exploiting the issue. Most of those killed were from my constituency. Five of them were Muslims. Terror does not discriminate between religion," he told HT.

During her speech in Parliament , Swaraj had wondered if the twin blasts had to do with provocative speeches by Owaisi, an MP from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, or his brother Akbaruddin. "Do these blasts have a connection with the provocative speeches made by an honourable member of this house?" she asked, initiating an impromptu discussion.

Slamming Swaraj, Owaisi said: "One doesn't accept such irresponsible statements from the Leader of the Opposition and one of the contenders for the PM's post at a time when the last rites of the martyrs have not yet been performed."

He described the bombings as an "attack on the nation" and said despite differences with the Congress government, his party was "extending all cooperation" to maintain calm and peace.