Hyderabad: A new book highlights senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir’s contributions to minority welfare over four and a half decades. Titled Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party, the volume traces his journey from student activism to his current role as advisor to the Telangana government.
Shabbir began his public life with the National Students’ Union of India in the late 1970s and later joined the Youth Congress. He first entered legislative office after winning the Kamareddy Assembly seat in 1989. In 1993, he became the country’s first Minorities Welfare Minister and secured a ₹2 crore allocation in the budget that year. He also proposed reservations for Muslims and 14 other backward communities.
In his second ministerial term from 2004 to 2009 under Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, he moved quickly to implement 5 percent Muslim reservations, which the courts later adjusted to 4 percent. That shift benefited around two million socially and economically backward Muslims.
Shabbir continued his advocacy as a vocal opposition leader and now assists the Telangana government in minority, SC, ST, and OBC welfare. He remains active in defending the 4 percent quota through legal channels and public discourse. Telangana’s Chief Minister praised his work as a “pillar of the Congress” and acknowledged the enduring impact of his efforts on social equity.
