• Shabbir Ali links Naveen Yadav’s victory in Jubilee Hills with Congress’ fight for Muslim welfare and Waqf protection.

Hyderabad, November 9: Senior Congress leader and Telangana Government Adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir Ali said that only the Congress party could safeguard the 4% Muslim reservation and continue to defend the rights of minorities in the country.

Addressing a large public meeting at Janapriya Grounds in Erragadda in support of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav for the Jubilee Hills by-election on Sunday, Shabbir Ali appealed to voters to back the Congress to strengthen the government’s resolve to protect the interests of the poor and minorities.

Highlighting the significance of the 4% Muslim reservation introduced by the Congress government in 2004–05, Shabbir Ali said the policy had benefitted nearly 22 lakh poor Muslims over the years by enabling their children to pursue professional courses such as medicine, engineering, MBA, and MCA. “This historic decision opened doors for thousands of families and transformed lives through education and employment,” he said, adding that only Congress had the political will to continue and defend such welfare-oriented policies.

Shabbir Ali emphasised that Naveen Yadav’s victory in the Jubilee Hills by-election would send a strong message of public support for the Congress government and its ongoing minority welfare programmes. “Your vote for Naveen Yadav is not just for one candidate but for the continuation of progressive schemes that uplift the poor and the backward,” he said.

He stated that Congress alone had the strength and commitment to challenge the Waqf Amendment Act in the Supreme Court and to fight on multiple fronts against the BJP and other communal forces seeking to weaken minority rights. “This is a multi-front battle — political, social, and legal. Every Congress victory strengthens the movement for justice and equality,” he said.

Shabbir Ali cautioned the people against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), describing it as a “secret ally” of the BJP. He said both parties shared a covert understanding aimed at dividing secular votes and weakening the Congress. “The BRS has repeatedly helped the BJP by splitting anti-BJP votes. It deserves to be defeated for betraying the people’s trust,” he asserted.

He said voting for BRS while assuming it to be a secular party was like voting for the BJP. Citing instances, he said the BRS had supported the BJP on at least 14 occasions, including the passage of several controversial laws. He added that any vote for BRS in Telangana would ultimately strengthen the BJP at the national level.

Reaffirming his faith in the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Shabbir Ali said the Congress government had already implemented several welfare initiatives, including the distribution of fine rice, issuance of new ration cards, free travel for women in RTC buses, and free supply of 200 units of electricity to the poor. He added that continued public support would empower the government to expand these benefits further.

Appealing for a united stand against divisive politics, Shabbir Ali called upon the people of Jubilee Hills to vote decisively for the Congress hand symbol on November 11. “Every vote for Congress is a vote to defend justice, protect reservation, and strengthen secular values,” he concluded. (eom)