Speculation, demand for answers and meme-fest post AIMIM leader Baig's ouster

Hyderabad

Hours after the sudden expulsion of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig late on Friday night, political circles are abuzz with speculation about the reasons behind the move, leading to demands for clarification on the allegations against him and opening the floodgates of a meme fest targeting the former party leader.

Mirza Rahmath Baig has been expelled from AIMIM with immediate effect. He must immediately submit his resignation to the Chairman of the Legislative Council.

SA Hussain Anwar, Joint Secretary AIMIM

— AIMIM (@aimim_national) August 28, 2026

On Saturday, Mr Baig removed pictures of AIMIM party president Asaduddin Owaisi from his X account banner photo. He also deleted references to the party and the Hyderabad MP from his bio. While the party instructed him to submit his resignation to Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, Mr. Baig’s bio continued to show “Member of the Legislative Council (MLC)”.

Earlier, Mr. Baig had approached the cyber crime police and Golconda police station and said that certain persons had threatened to publish AI-generated deepfakes to tarnish his reputation. He maintained his innocence and said there was a conspiracy to attack him. The expulsion took place soon after.

Reacting to the controversy, BJP president TG N. Ramchander Rao said that both the Congress and the BRS had maintained a “stoic silence” on the issue. He demanded a thorough investigation into the issue.

BJP leader NV Subash said the expulsion “cannot be considered justice” and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. He asked the government to ensure that the investigation is conducted within a time limit.

BRS chief and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar welcomed Mr Baig’s suspension but also urged Mr Owaisi to take the alleged victims to the police and share evidence with them. “I assume you would not resort to (perhaps) suspending your MLC (perhaps the first time in your party’s history) without hard and verifiable evidence,” he wrote on X.

Social media, including Instagram and Facebook, were abuzz with users wanting to know the reason behind Mr Baig’s dismissal. Others made reels that poked fun at his confrontations with officials over civic issues and law and order issues. Video clips showing him campaigning in the Jubilee Hills polls were also shared with sarcastic captions.

The Hindu attempted to contact Mr Baig for comment. However, his phone remained out of reach.

It was in 2018 that the party gave him a ticket for the assembly elections from Rajendra Nagar constituency. Speaking to The Hindu then, Mr. Baig said that he came in contact with the party in 1994 and soon started working for the Ibrahim Bagh primary unit of the AIMIM. In 2004, he started working with AIMIM General Secretary late Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri as his driver and personal assistant. In September 2023, he was appointed as an MLC candidate within the local bodies constituency.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 20:51 IST