Hitting out at the Andhra Pradesh government for allegedly failing to take prompt action over the "hate speech" of MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, the BJP on Monday accused the Congress of going soft on him as both are still alliance partners in Hyderabad. "Why this delay in taking action. Why this lenient attitude when there is a universal condemnation of his (MIM MLA's) highly objectionable comments. It is the Congress which helped MIM to grow. They still share power in Hyderabad Corporation. Is this the reason why they are soft?," senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu asked while talking to reporters in Hyderabad.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) had recently withdrawn its support to Congress both at the Centre and Andhra Pradesh but both parties continue to share power in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

The state Congress government has failed to take action against the MIM leaders promptly though they violated law on many occasions in the past, Naidu alleged.

Congress will have to answer for its inaction, he maintained.

The BJP leader further alleged that the Andhra Congress government lacked the courage to take concrete action against Akbaruddin Owaisi though "every word said by him was highly provocative and objectionable during public meetings in Adilabad and Nizamabad districts."

Alleging that MIM never cared for the welfare of Muslim minorities, Naidu claimed that Akbaruddin Owaisi's "inflammatory" speech was aimed at strengthening the party elsewhere in AP and also in some parts of erstwhile Nizam state (in Maharashtra and Karnataka).