Hyderabad, Aug 17: The Congress party in Telangana plans to organize grand celebrations to mark 30 years of Muslim reservation in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin said that the main event, scheduled for August 25, was expected to be a significant milestone in the Congress party’s commitment to social justice.
Hyderabad District Congress Committee President Mohammed Waliullah Sameer said that Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is likely to attend the event.
The event would see the participation of top Congress leaders from across the country. The party has invited prominent Muslim MPs of the party, including Md. Rakibul Hussain from Assam, Tariq Anwar and Dr. Mohammed Jawed from Bihar, Shafi Parambil from Kerala, Hamidullah Sayeed from Lakshadweep, Imran Masood from Uttar Pradesh, Syed Naseer Hussain from Karnataka, and Imran Pratapgarhi from Maharashtra.
All Muslim MLAs and prominent leaders, including Salman Khurshid, have also been invited to the event. Congress leaders elected as Sarpanches, MPTC, ZPTC, Corporators, and Councillors under the BC-E reservation are also expected to participate.
Nizamuddin emphasized the Congress party’s longstanding commitment to providing and defending reservations for Muslims in jobs and education. He praised the pivotal roles played by Congress Chief Ministers Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy, Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, K. Rosaiah, and the current CM A. Revanth Reddy in implementing and maintaining the 4% Muslim reservation. He also acknowledged the tireless efforts of former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who had been part of this struggle since 1994.
He said that on August 25, 1994, the then Congress Government issued an order including Muslims among 14 other castes to be given reservations. “The Congress party’s successful implementation of 5% and later 4% Muslim reservation within 58 days of coming to power was a huge achievement. The Congress party and Mohammed Ali Shabbir have been fighting the legal battles to defend this reservation in the High Court and the Supreme Court,” he said while informing that the Telangana Government is currently defending the case in the Supreme Court, which would be heard by a Constitutional Bench.
Sameer Waliullah said that the celebration aimed to raise awareness about the impact of 30 years of Muslim reservation on nearly 20 lakh poor Muslims in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The event sought to educate the public on the importance of preserving this reservation, especially in the face of efforts by the BJP to dismantle it.
“Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has already assured that the Congress government will continue to defend the 4% Muslim quota, and Mohammed Ali Shabbir has been actively countering the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to target Muslim reservation. Through this event, the Congress party intends to send a clear message to every household about the necessity of protecting Muslim reservations at all costs,” Sameer Waliullah said.
