Launch Minority Bandhu Too: Congress To KCR

The Telangana unit of the Congress today demanded that the TRS-led state government implement a Minority Bandhu scheme, along the lines of the new Dalit Bandhu scheme, for all the Muslims and other minorities of the state. The party also demanded that reservations of 12% be implemented for the minority communities.

The Congress Minority Cell had organised a protest to put forth these demands to the KCR regime at Hyderabad's Indra park.

TPCC chief and MP A Revanth Reddy, former TPCC head N Uttam Kumar Reddy, TPCC Publicity Committee Chairman Madhu Yaski Goud, TPCC working president M Anjan Kumar Yadav, MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy, and former ministers J Geeta Reddy, G Chinna Reddy and Mohammad Ali Shabbir were among those who took part in the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, the former PCC president, MP Uttam Kumar Reddy, alleged that the minorities of the state had been "cheated" by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

"A 12% reservation for minorities has not been implemented even though the CM had made a statement promising that he would implement such a reservation policy. He had even claimed that he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue and had successfully secured a promise from the latter for its implementation. I urge the Muslim community of the state not to believe the CM. His party, the TRS, and the BJP have a secret pact. It is clear that the Congress is the only party committed to the development of the minorities of the state. While at a national level, minorities are living under fear because of the anti-minority rule of PM Modi, in Telangana, they are being neglected by CM KCR," he thundered.

Continuing his attack on the BJP, the MP accused the party of "trying to benefit electorally by indulging in communally divisive politics" in the country.

He then claimed that defeating the TRS would be defeating the BJP as KCR had remained a staunch supporter of all of the Centre's most controversial decisions.

Another leader, Madhu Yaski Goud, also levelled charges of communal politicking against the Modi regime and accused it of trying to accrue electoral benefits by "using religious sentiments".

"India belongs to people from every religion. However, since our CM is a slave of PM Modi, the SCs, STs, BCs and minorities have suffered greatly under the rule of the TRS. It is our party that will always fight for the rights of the minorities," he added.

Besides Goud, former minister G Chinna Reddy and MLA Jagga Reddy too lashed out at the TRS regime. They said that several minority households had been "languishing in poverty" and demanded that a Muslim Bandhu scheme, akin to the Dalit Bandhu scheme, be implemented in Telangana.