Hyderabad, Jan. 28: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has slammed the Congress party for the absence of Muslim representation in the Telangana Cabinet and alleged that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is emulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao said that for the first time in the history of Telugu States since 1953, the State Cabinet lacked representation from the Muslim community.
“Congress justified this by claiming that no Muslim was elected as an MLA, and therefore, they were not inducting a Muslim minister into the cabinet. However, they could have appointed a Muslim representative and later made him an MLC,” he stated.
According to KTR, the Congress party aimed to “teach a lesson to the minorities” for not supporting them in the Assembly elections, resulting in the denial of a cabinet position to a community member.
KTR reminded that when BRS came to power in 2014, Mahmood Ali was appointed Deputy Chief Minister. In 2018, he was again made the Home Minister to instil confidence among minorities and convey a sense of inclusiveness.
“Congress wanted to insult the entire Muslim community by asserting that they don’t have a leader worthy of a cabinet berth. Muslims constitute nearly 13-14% of the population in Telangana, yet they have no representative in the State Cabinet,” he emphasized.
Addressing a meeting of the BRS minority leaders from across the state at Telangana Bhavan here on Saturday, KTR pointed out that currently, Telangana is among 15 states without a Muslim minister. Unfortunately, Telangana, along with Gujarat and Assam, is one of three states with over 45 lakh Muslims but no minister in the cabinet.
“Today, the Congress Government in Telangana is no different from BJP governments in other states that deny representation to Muslims in the cabinet. It is surprising that the grand old party does not have a Muslim leader worthy of becoming a Cabinet Minister,” he remarked.
In fact, he noted that there is no Muslim minister in the BJP Government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “PM Modi talks about ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ but when it comes to the cabinet, he denies a berth to Muslims, who constitute nearly 14% of the country’s population,” he added.
“Why should Muslims vote for Congress? Is Congress not ideologically aligned with BJP on Muslim representation in power?” he questioned.
KTR accused CM Revanth Reddy of emulating PM Modi and claimed that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi fear opposing Revanth Reddy, as it may lead him to join the BJP. He warned of Reddy potentially becoming the next Biswa Sarma or Eknath Shinde if not heeded.
KTR alleged that Reddy has been humiliating and insulting the Muslim community and leaders within the Congress party. He cited the appointment of Mohammed Ali Shabbir as an Advisor, claiming the given rank of “Minister of State” was demeaning for someone with Ali’s political stature.
He criticized the Congress for not conducting a single review meeting on minorities welfare in over 50 days in power. He demanded a calendar and deadline for fulfilling the 12 major promises outlined in the Minorities Declaration, including initiating a caste census, increasing Muslim quota, and allocating Rs 4,000 crore for the minorities welfare.
The BRS has accused the Congress government of bulldozing the self-respect and honour of Muslims in Telangana.
While BJP governments are demolishing the properties belonging to minorities in their states, in Telangana, Revanth Reddy’s government is bulldozing the self-respect of Muslims, he alleged.
“Congress is in revenge mode against Muslims who supported BRS in Assembly elections,” he asserted.
Citing recent incidents in Sangareddy, Nalgonda, and other places on January 22, KTR claimed that communal tension has resurfaced due to the Congress returning to power.
He criticized the Congress government for failing to handle these incidents appropriately, highlighting a case in Daulatabad where a Muslim family, including a 5-year-old, was allegedly attacked. He accused the Congress government of wrongly booking cases against innocent youths and not taking proper action against the troublemakers.
Referring to a prediction made during a press conference on November 28, 2023, KTR stated that BRS had foreseen a resurgence of communal tension and violence if Congress came to power.
Asserting that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, holding the home portfolio, has not initiated an inquiry into the incidents, KTR criticized the lack of a review meeting or direct communication with district SPs to address the reported violence.
He reminded that the previous BRS government had promptly addressed similar incidents with seriousness and caution.
