• Congress leaders rebut BRS claims, detailing failures on Muslim issues and highlighting inclusive governance

Hyderabad, November 5: Senior Congress leader and Advisor to the Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Wednesday launched a sharp counterattack against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing its leadership of misleading Muslims with propaganda that the Congress had ignored minority welfare.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan along with Minorities Welfare Minister Md Azharuddin and senior leaders Zafar Javeed, Azmatullah Hussaini, Taher Bin Hamdan, Obaidullah Kotwal, Osman Al Hajri, Uzma Shakir, Mujahid Alam Khan and Mohd Faheem, Shabbir Ali said the BRS had no moral right to speak about Muslim welfare after a decade of neglect and discrimination.

He recalled that BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao had promised 12% Muslim reservation within four months of assuming power in 2014. “BRS ruled for ten years. Not only did they fail to deliver 12%, but they even tried to remove the existing 4% reservation by neglecting the case in the Supreme Court,” he said. “No government advocate appeared before the court. It was the Congress that fought to defend the case.”

Shabbir Ali accused KCR of targeting Muslim representation by contesting from Kamareddy in 2023. “He came to Kamareddy not to represent the people but to defeat a Muslim leader who fought for their rights. If he truly cared for minorities, he should have contested from Gosha Mahal to challenge the BJP,” he said, adding that KCR’s actions reflected “deep-seated prejudice and political opportunism.”

He said KCR displayed equal hatred for Muslim and Dalit leaders. Citing an example, he said KCR made six Congress MLCs defect to the BRS just to strip him of the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. “Similarly, he made 11 MLAs defect to the BRS just to deny the LoP post to Dalit leader Bhatti Vikramarka. That is the real face of the BRS leadership,” he remarked.

Listing a series of failures, Shabbir said that under BRS rule, more than 80% of minority colleges had shut down, while no Muslim held a key administrative post in universities, commissions or the Telangana Public Service Commission. “None of the eleven state universities had a Muslim vice-chancellor. Muslims were excluded from the Information Commission, TSPSC and even the public prosecutors’ panels. They systematically erased our representation,” he said.

He accused the previous government of neglecting Urdu, pointing out that Urdu-medium schools were closed and not a single Urdu teacher was appointed. “The Holy Quran begins with the word Iqra (read), and the Congress has always focused on educational empowerment of Muslims,” he said.

Referring to the Waqf issue, Shabbir Ali said KCR had promised to restore encroached lands and give judicial powers to the Waqf Board but failed to act. “Instead, he sealed the Waqf records section in 2017. Not even an inch of land was recovered,” he alleged.

Shabbir Ali said that under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s leadership, the Congress government had implemented inclusive and data-driven welfare. He said 2,200 additional engineering seats had been sanctioned for minority students, along with one new law college and two pharmacy colleges. “We sanctioned Madina Engineering College in Mahabubnagar Minority Engineering College, one law college and two pharmacy colleges in the last 22 months,” he said.

He further announced that the government had launched the Young India Integrated Residential Schools initiative, allocating Rs 225 crore for 76 new schools across 25 acres, with a target of 119 hostels in total. “For the first time, minorities are being treated on par with SC, ST and BC students,” he said.

Diet charges for students had been increased by 40%, while allowances for girl students were raised by 200%. “We are providing fine rice to every household and have issued thousands of new ration cards, including 40,000 in Jubilee Hills,” he added.

Shabbir Ali also said the Congress government had revived Urdu institutions, appointed 500 Urdu teachers and reopened closed schools. “We believe in Iqra – education is empowerment. Today, over 22 lakh Muslims in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are professionals because of Congress policies. In medical education alone, 1,248 Muslim students are pursuing MBBS, with 862 on free seats in Telangana – no other state can match that,” he said.

He emphasised that 12,000 Muslim students were now enrolled in engineering courses across Telangana due to renewed support from the Congress government.

Turning to law and order, Shabbir Ali accused the BRS of fuelling communal tensions. He cited the Jainoor riots, saying FIRs listed BRS members as accused. “The same government that demolished two mosques in the Secretariat also suppressed FIRs against its own leaders,” he said. “When we filed complaints, they were ignored. Now, the Congress government is accepting grievances, investigating them and ensuring justice.”

He also criticised the BRS for backing the BJP on fourteen occasions in Parliament, including on the Triple Talaq Bill, NRC and UAPA amendments. “KCR supported the BJP even when Meira Kumar, who played a vital role in passing the Telangana Bill, was contesting for President. He didn’t even meet her. That shows his real secularism,” he remarked.

Shabbir Ali said the Congress government had completed a scientific caste survey which revealed that Muslims constituted 12.58% of Telangana’s population, with 10.08% classified as socially and educationally backward. “We lost earlier cases for lack of data. Now we have empirical evidence. This will help us defend the 4% reservation and demand its expansion,” he said.

Defending Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Shabbir Ali said the CM’s remark that “Muslims and Congress are one” reflected genuine inclusion. “Revanth Reddy believes in equality and empowerment, not appeasement. His government’s welfare schemes – from Indiramma Houses to free bus travel for women – have no religious bias. Everyone is an equal beneficiary,” he stated.

When asked about not being made a minister, Shabbir said, “All Congress candidates, including me, Azharuddin and Feroz Khan, lost the Assembly elections. Congress is an ocean. I have been given the Advisor’s post, and I am honoured to serve. In our party, roles may change, but the commitment to justice remains constant.”

Shabbir Ali concluded the press conference by appealing to the people of Jubilee Hills to vote for Congress candidate Naveen Yadav. “Our record speaks for itself. Congress has always fought for secularism, justice and equality. We are not here to divide communities but to unite Telangana through education, empowerment and dignity,” he said.

Minister Md Azharuddin expressed confidence that the Congress would win Jubilee Hills with a thumping majority. He said the BRS was spreading false allegations against Congress only to distract Muslims from its past failures. He added that all Congress leaders were united in their fight to win the by-election. (eom)