KTR accuses Congress Govt of "bulldozing" self-respect of Muslims in Telangana

HYDERABAD: BRS Working President K Tarakarama Rao has accused the Congress Government, headed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, of "bulldozing" the self-respect and honour of minorities, especially Muslim in Telangana State.

Addressing a meeting with the BRS minority leaders from across the State at Telangana Bhavan on Saturday, KTR said that the Congress Govt adopted the BJP's "bulldozer" policy against the minorities. While BJP Govts were demolishing the properties belonging to minorities in their States, in Telangana, Revanth Reddy's Govt was “Bulldozing” the self-respect of Muslims, he alleged.

"Congress is in revenge mode against Muslims who supported BRS in Assembly elections," he asserted.

KTR claimed that communal tension had resurfaced due to the Congress returning to power, citing recent incidents in Sangareddy, Nalgonda, and other places on January 22. He criticised the Congress Government for failing to handle these incidents appropriately, highlighting a case in Daulatabad where a Muslim family, including a 5-year-old, was allegedly attacked. He accused the Congress Government of wrongly booking cases against innocent youths and not taking proper action against the troublemakers.

Referring to a prediction made during a press conference on November 28, 2023, KTR stated that BRS had foreseen a resurgence of communal tension and violence if Congress came to power.

Asserting that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, holding the Home Portfolio, had not initiated an inquiry into the incidents, KTR criticised the lack of a review meeting or direct communication with district SPs to address the reported violence.

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He reminded that the previous BRS Government had promptly addressed similar incidents with seriousness and caution.

KTR emphasized the truly secular nature of the BRS party and its previous government, expressing gratitude to voters who supported them. Presenting statistics, he highlighted BRS's success in winning seats with substantial Muslim populations in Telangana.

However, he noted that the Congress party is harboring resentment towards minorities due to their support for BRS in the Assembly elections, suggesting a continuous "revenge mode" against them since the declaration of election results and the formation of the new government.

"BRS is genuinely secular, and the government it led until 50 days ago reflected this commitment. Minorities not only appreciated BRS's secular approach but also rewarded the party with their votes," he emphasized.

Sharing statistics, KTR highlighted that out of 119 Assembly constituencies, approximately 40 seats in Telangana had more than 10% Muslim voters. "BRS secured victory in 18 of these seats with over 10% Muslim voters, while MIM won 7 seats. The Congress and the BJP each claimed 8 seats, primarily due to the division of minority votes and polarization," he explained.

Furthermore, in Greater Hyderabad, with 24 Assembly seats and a combined Muslim population of nearly 27%, the BRS won 16 seats, the MIM won 7, BJP secured one seat in Gosha Mahal, and Congress scored zero.

In six other seats - Boath, Siddipet, Patancheru, Chevella, Uppal and Balkonda - where the Muslim population was over eight percent, the BRS emerged victorious in all. "These statistics underscore the significant role Muslim voters played in BRS's victory in almost 24 out of the 39 seats we won. In the remaining 15 seats, where the minority population is between 2.5-6.6 percent, the BRS garnered support from all minority communities," he claimed.

Expressing gratitude, KTR stated, "BRS is thankful to all the voters who trusted us and rejected the false propaganda of Congress."

He flayed the Congress party for the absence of Muslim representation in the Telangana Cabinet. "RSS follower Revanth Reddy assumed office as Chief Minister on December 7, 2023. For the first time in the history of Telugu States since 1953, the State Cabinet lacked representation from the Muslim community. The Congress justified this by claiming that no Muslim was elected as an MLA, and therefore, they were not inducting a Muslim minister into the cabinet. However, they could have appointed a Muslim representative and later made him an MLC," he stated.

According to KTR, the Congress party aimed to "teach a lesson to the minorities" for not supporting them in the Assembly elections, resulting in the denial of a cabinet position to a community member.

KTR reminded that when the BRS came to power in 2014, Mahmood Ali was appointed the Deputy Chief Minister. In 2018, he was again made the Home Minister to instill confidence among minorities and convey a sense of inclusiveness.

"The Congress wanted to insult the entire Muslim community by asserting that they don't have a leader worthy of a cabinet berth. Muslims constitute nearly 13-14 percent of the population in Telangana, yet they have no representative in the State Cabinet," he emphasised.

Expanding on this, KTR pointed out that currently, Telangana was among 15 states without a Muslim minister. Unfortunately, Telangana, along with Gujarat and Assam, was one of three states with over 45 lakh Muslims but no minister in the cabinet.

"Today, the Congress Government in Telangana is no different from BJP governments in other states that deny representation to Muslims in the cabinet. It is surprising that the Grand Old Party does not have a Muslim leader worthy of becoming a Cabinet Minister," he remarked.

In fact, he noted that there was no Muslim minister in the BJP Government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "PM Modi talks about 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,' but when it comes to the cabinet, he denies a berth to Muslims, who constitute nearly 14% of the country's population," he added.

"Why should Muslims vote for Congress? Is Congress not ideologically aligned with BJP on Muslim representation in power?" he questioned.

KTR accused CM Revanth Reddy of emulating PM Modi and claimed that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi feared opposing Revanth Reddy, as it might lead him to join the BJP. He warned of Reddy potentially becoming the next Himantha Biswa Sarma or Eknath Shinde if not heeded.

KTR alleged that Reddy had been humiliating and insulting the Muslim community and leaders within the Congress party. He cited the appointment of Shabbir Ali as an Advisor, claiming the given rank of "Minister of State" was demeaning for someone with Ali's political stature.

The BRS leader criticised the Congress for not conducting a single review meeting on Minorities Welfare in over 50 days in power. He demanded a calendar and deadline for fulfilling the 12 major promises outlined in the Minorities Declaration, including initiating a caste census, increasing Muslim quota, and allocating Rs 4,000 crore for the Minorities Welfare.

KTR made it clear that BRS had never had any alliance or understanding with the BJP. KCR, in his 45-year political career since 1979 as the single-window chairman, never allied with the BJP. If the BRS and the BJP were friends, would KCR have lost to a BJP candidate in the Kamareddy seat?" he asked.

Similarly, KTR addressed the Congress's claim regarding the non-arrest of MLC K Kavitha in the Delhi Liquor Policy Case by the BJP Government. "The BJP falsely implicated Kavitha, but her arrest was prevented due to the intervention of the Supreme Court. If the BRS and the BJP were allies, why would Kavitha face false charges from the BJP Government?" he questioned.

KTR emphasised that the BRS was secular by choice, not due to political necessity. The party believed in Ganga Jamuni Tahzeeb, rejecting the BJP's Hindutva certificates and Congress's claims of secularism. "The BRS doesn't need any of those certificates," he asserted.

In the context of communal tension resurfacing within just 50 days of the Congress's rule, KTR urged people, especially minorities, to support the BRS in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He warned against the Congress's alleged conspiracy to saffronize Telangana under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, who has an RSS background.

Addressing the BRS cadre, KTR encouraged them not to be disheartened by the Assembly results, emphasizing that victory and defeat are inherent in political life. "Aim high, keep fighting for the people, face difficulties, and ultimately, you will prevail," he concluded.

KTR highlighted the BRS party's commitment to Telangana and minorities, citing various welfare and empowerment initiatives during its nine-and-a-half years in power.