Hyderabad: Iftar parties hosted by the state governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been mired in controversy this year.
In Andhra Pradesh, Muslim organisations boycotted the iftar hosted by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on March 27, protesting his Telugu Desam Party’s implicit support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Meanwhile, in Telangana, some Muslim groups abstained from the Congress-led government’s iftar in Hyderabad, citing unfulfilled promises made to the community.
Another controversy arose during Telangana’s official iftar and dinner at LB Stadium on March 25. Due to the Model Code of Conduct for the biennial Legislative Council elections, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, his Cabinet ministers, and other officials were unable to attend. The Congress government had sought permission from the Election Commission of India to allow their participation, but the request was denied. With the MCC coming into effect on March 24 following the election schedule announcement, only officials from the minority welfare department and institutions like the Waqf Board, Haj Committee, and Urdu Academy were present, along with some religious leaders.
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi arrived at the venue but left upon learning that the Chief Minister and ministers would not be attending.
Adding to the controversy, reports surfaced that the Telangana government allocated ₹70 crore for iftar events in Hyderabad and across districts. Organisations like the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) criticised the expenditure, urging the government to redirect funds toward overdue fee reimbursements for minority students or other welfare programmes.
The SIO argued that lavish iftar events raise concerns about misplaced priorities, especially when pressing issues such as scholarships, the Minority Sub-Plan, employment, and economic empowerment remain unaddressed. The organisation emphasised that instead of hosting political spectacles, the government should invest in sustainable welfare initiatives.
Similarly, the Welfare Party of India (WPI) called for a boycott of the iftar, citing the Congress government’s failure to deliver on promises and the absence of Muslim representation in the state cabinet. Activists Lubna Sarwath, Anwarullah Khan, and Syed Ismail also urged the CM to reallocate the ₹70 crore toward education, employment, and minority empowerment.
However, government advisor on minorities, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, dismissed the claim that ₹70 crore was allocated for iftar. He clarified that only ₹10 crore had been earmarked – ₹2 to ₹2.5 crore for the main event in Hyderabad and ₹1 lakh each for iftar at 815 mosques across the state. He called the ₹70 crore figure misleading propaganda.
