Shabbir Ali honoured for his role in getting 4% Muslim reservation in undivided AP
Nizamabad Urban, September 4: A grand felicitation event was held at the Prime School in Khojja Colony, Nizamabad, honouring Advisor to Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir for his role in getting 4% Muslim reservation in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2004.
The event also marked the 30th anniversary of the Muslim reservation. The first GO Ms No 30 proposing reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh was issued on August 25, 1994, during the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy with Mohammed Ali Shabbir as the country’s first minority welfare minister.
During the event, Shabbir Ali expressed concerns about an ongoing conspiracy to revoke the 4% reservations currently provided to Muslims in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He emphasised that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah would be able to cancel these reservations, recalling Amit Shah’s earlier comments on the possible revocation. He said that the final decision on continuance of 4% Muslim reservation in Telugu states would be taken only by the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court.
Shabbir Ali highlighted the Congress party’s continuous efforts towards the welfare of Muslim and Christian minorities. He recalled the significant struggle during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure, which led to the implementation of the 4% reservation for Muslims – a battle that he continues to fight in the courts to this day.
He reminded the audience that it was the Congress government that introduced the 4% Muslim reservation and stated that protecting these reservations is their responsibility. Shabbir Ali further mentioned that the present Congress government has already allocated funds for minority schools and the construction of residential buildings, ensuring proper representation for Muslim minorities in all sectors.
He noted that the reservation has enabled thousands of poor Muslim minority youths to become engineers and doctors. Expressing his happiness, he remarked that it has been 30 years since this significant achievement. (eom)