· Shabbir Ali addresses a press meet at Gandhi Bhavan

· BRS leaders spreading false propaganda against Congress Govt: Shabbir

Hyderabad, October 16: Congress senior leader and Advisor to the Telangana Government (SC, ST, OBC & Minorities) Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly refuted allegations that the Congress government has excluded minorities from recent initiatives, including the formation of Indiramma Committees and the comprehensive household survey. He clarified that the Congress government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is working sincerely for the welfare of minorities and other marginalised communities.

 

He was addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday along with Hyderabad DCC President Mohammed Waliullah Sameer and other leaders.

 

Responding to the concerns raised, Shabbir Ali explained that the Government Order (GO) Ms No. 33, issued on October 11, pertains to the formation of Indiramma Committees at the Gram Panchayat and Municipal Ward levels. These committees are integral to the Indiramma Indlu programme, which aims to provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to homeless poor families for the construction of 4.5 lakh new houses in its first phase. He stressed that minorities, particularly 14 groups among Muslims classified under the BC-E category, are eligible for inclusion in these committees, ensuring adequate representation.

 

Shabbir Ali elaborated that the committees at the Gram Panchayat level will be chaired by either the Sarpanch or a Special Officer and will include three local members, with one member each from the BC, SC, and ST communities. Minorities, including those under the BC-E category, are eligible to serve in these committees. Additionally, two women from the Self-Help Groups (SHG) will also be part of the committees, further enhancing minority representation.

 

At the Municipal Ward level, similar provisions apply, with the committees being headed by the respective ward councillors or corporators. This, according to Shabbir Ali, ensures that the representation of minorities is safeguarded at every level of the Indiramma Indlu programme.

 

Shabbir Ali also addressed concerns regarding GO Ms No. 18, issued on October 10, which mandates a door-to-door household survey across Telangana to assess the socio-economic, educational, employment, and caste-related conditions of citizens. He pointed out that since approximately 85% of Muslims fall under the BC-E category, they are automatically included in the survey. The remaining minorities will be considered under the weaker sections category, ensuring that no minority community is excluded from the process.

 

He urged the public to be cautious of misleading propaganda aimed at creating a false narrative of minority exclusion. Shabbir Ali reiterated that the Congress government in Telangana is truly secular and remains committed to justice for all communities, including minorities.

 

Shabbir Ali assured that deserving minorities, such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and other groups, will receive their rightful share in the allocation of Indiramma houses. He confirmed that minorities will also continue to benefit from the Congress government’s various welfare schemes. He accused certain vested interests of spreading baseless allegations to incite communal tensions and urged people to stay vigilant against such divisive tactics.

 

Highlighting the Congress government’s dedication to the welfare of all communities, Shabbir Ali mentioned that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had recently launched the Young India Integrated Residential Schools project on October 12. Foundation stones for 28 schools were laid in the first phase. Each school, set on 20-25 acres, will accommodate up to 2,500 students from Class 4 to Class 12. Unlike existing residential schools that cater to specific caste or religious groups such as SCs, STs, or OBCs, these new institutions will be inclusive of all students, including differently-abled individuals. The project, with an estimated budget of Rs 5,000 crore, will provide modern facilities, including smart boards, digital libraries, and sports infrastructure.

 

Shabbir Ali also criticised the previous BRS government, alleging that it failed to deliver on its promise of 12% Muslim reservation. In contrast, the Congress government, he said, has been proactive in providing representation to minorities across various sectors. He noted that a Muslim has been appointed as Additional Advocate General, and several Muslims have been appointed as Government Pleaders and Additional GPs. A Muslim representative, Dr Amir Ullah Khan, has also been appointed to the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC). In addition, minority corporation posts have been filled, with Prof Riyaz appointed as Library Chairman and Md Faheem as Chairman of the Food Corporation.

 

He also pointed out that World Boxing champion Nikhat Zareen and cricketer Mohammed Siraj were given Group-1 posts and made DSPs in the Police Department. He said that the gesture was aimed at encouraging youth towards sports.

 

During the BRS regime, Shabbir Ali claimed, over 80% of minority engineering and professional colleges were shut down. However, the Congress government has added 2,200 engineering seats in minority colleges and has sanctioned a minority law college and two pharmacy colleges. He further noted that in recent recruitments, out of 10,006 DSC appointments, 720 belonged to minority communities. The Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS) has also been strengthened, and 31 students from the community have secured admission into MBBS. Furthermore, he highlighted that Muslims will benefit from upcoming Group-1, Group-2, and Group-3 recruitments.

 

Shabbir Ali stated that the Congress government has been working hard to rectify the injustices faced by minorities during the 10 years of BRS rule. He assured that the government’s efforts in the past 10 months are just the beginning of its commitment to uplifting minorities.

 

When asked about the Musi Riverfront project, Shabbir Ali accused BRS Working President K Tarakarama Rao of spreading falsehood. He asked how KTR could claim that the Musi beautification project was worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore when the Congress government did not even finalise the Detailed Project Report (DPR), announced financial closure or invited international bids. “Unlike BRS government which executed the Kaleshwaram project without any DPR and without even conducting required soil tests, the Congress government will follow all due procedures in a transparent manner,” he said. Further, he said the DPR would be placed online to seek public suggestions and objections.

 

Shabbir Ali said that BRS leaders have grown from a ‘hawayi chappal’ (slipper) to ‘hawayi jahaz’ (aeroplane) in the last 10 years. But they don’t want people living in the areas around Musi River to witness economic prosperity.

 

Responding to the allegations of Congress encouraging defections, Shabbir Ali said it was the BRS which started the culture of defections. He said as many as 48 MPs, MLAs and MLCs were made to defect to the BRS party in 10 years. “There was just one month left for the completion of my term as Leader of Opposition. But KCR engineered defection of Congress MLCs to strip me from the post of LoP. He did not even allow me to take out my medicines from the BP vehicle assigned to me,” he said, adding that the BRS has no right to speak about defections. (eom)