• Minority leaders of Congress felicitate Shabbir Ali on getting TPCC PAC post

Hyderabad, September 18, 2021: Former Minister & ex-Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Saturday urged the Congress cadre to aggressively campaign across the State, especially in the villages, to expose the failures of the TRS Government and bring the party back to power in the 2023 elections.

He was addressing a meeting organised by minority leaders of Congress party at his residence in Jubilee Hills on Saturday to felicitate him on being appointed Convener of Political Affairs Committee of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).

Shabbir Ali said that the Congress party was very strong with a huge organisational structure across Telangana State. Stating that Congress cadre is present in every lane and by-lane of Telangana State, he asked the party workers to strengthen their ties with the people to understand and raise their issues.

The Congress leader said that the TRS party did nothing for the welfare of minorities. Instead, he said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao made all institutions related to minorities’ welfare dysfunctional. “KCR cheated Muslims on the promise of 12% reservation and judicial powers to the Wakf Board. TRS leaders often talk about Shaadi Mubarak and Minorities Residential Schools to claim that KCR Govt was pro-minorities. Both the schemes were originally launched by the previous Congress Government during 2006-08. TRS Govt only renamed them by increasing the allocations. However, the number of beneficiaries was much higher during Congress regime compared to the present TRS Govt,” he said while asking the Congress cadre to present facts and real statistics before the people.

He said CM KCR neglected minorities in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and Telangana Public Service Commission. He said nearly 80% of Muslims fall under the BC-E category. However, no Muslim member has been appointed in the BC Commission. He said all minority bodies including Minorities Finance Commission, Urdu Academy and Haj House are presently headless. Those institutions have no funds, no manpower, or even a body to carry out their activities.

Further, he said CM KCR has hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims on multiple occasions by demolishing at least six mosques, including two mosques in the Secretariat. “KCR has committed the sin of undermining the power of the Muslim community. He apparently thinks that he can easily get away on the basis of fake promises and false claims. The Congress cadre must reach all the minorities and expose the ugly communal face of KCR,” he said.

Shabbir Ali also condemned Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen for opposing the Congress party to benefit BJP. “It is beyond doubt that MIM is the B-team of BJP and it contests elections to divide the votes of Congress and secular parties,” he alleged.

“MIM is a 52-year-old party of Hyderabad and it has never contested on more than eight seats in any election. But it wants to contest on 100 seats in Uttar Pradesh where it has almost zero existence. This clearly shows that MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi wants to help the BJP as much as he could by dividing the anti-BJP votes in UP as it did in previous Assembly elections in Maharashtra and other States,” he said.

Shabbir Ali also condemned the MIM for not remaining silent against the anti-minority policies of the TRS Govt. “Since MIM is already a secret ally of BJP, it is supporting the TRS, another B-team of BJP,” he alleged.

Thanking Congress president Sonia Gandhi for appointing him as the Convener of TPCC’s Political Affairs Committee, he said he was an example of how the Congress party gives recognition to its leaders and cadre. “I began my political career about 40 years ago from the NSUI. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made me a minister in 1989 when I was just 31 years and a first-time MLA. I also served as a minister from 2004-2009. While in opposition, I was made the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. Now I have been given another important responsibility. This shows that loyalty, dedication and commitment to the party always bring recognition. Therefore, the entire Congress cadre must work dedicatedly to strengthen the party and their hard work will not go unnoticed,” he said.

He also gave a detailed narration of how the Congress party implemented 4% Muslim reservation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2004 and how he overcame the difficulties while establishing India’s first minority welfare department in 1993.

The meeting, organised by TPCC General Secretary Maqsood Ahmed, was also addressed by senior leaders including TPCC Senior Vice-President Dr. Mallu Ravi, General Secretary SK. Afzaluddin, Campaign Committee Convener Azmathullah Hussaini, Feroz Khan, Wajid Hussain, Syed Nizamuddin, Mallareddy Ramreddy, Mateen Shareef and others.