Congress raises 12 pc Muslim quota pitch at rally

​Hyderabad: Slamming the ruling TRS for going back on its promises, the Congress party on Monday took out a huge rally demanding the TRS government to provide 12 per cent reservation to Muslims in jobs and education opportunities.

The rally, ‘Walk for 12 per cent Muslim Reservation’, organised by  GHCC Minorities  department chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, was led by TPCC Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy. The Congress leaders on the occasion signed postcards requesting Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to fulfill the quota promise. 

Starting at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers walked up to the General Post Office at Abids, to drop the postcards. They also raised slogans against the TRS government and KCR, and the accused the Chief Minister of cheating Muslims. Addressing a press conference at the Gandhi Bhavan later, Uttam alleged that KCR was trying to wash his hands off from the promise of reservation. 

“What happened to the tsunami that you threatened to bring if Centre rejected Muslim quota? Why you did not hold any protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi? When are you going to take an all-party delegation to Delhi?” Uttam questioned the Chief Minister.

Demanding the Chief Minister to apologise for lying in Assembly that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to enhance Muslim quota, Uttam said, “TRS should not seek votes from Muslims if quota is not implemented.” 

Alleging that nearly 1 lakh Shaadi Mubarak applications were pending, the State Congress Chief added that many Muslims, who had applied for the scheme money at the time of marriage, did not get the funds even a year of the marriage. Similarly, he said Minorities' youth were being denied loans under loan-cum-subsidy scheme. 

Of 1.53 lakh loan applications, only 14,544 have been sanctioned and no fresh applications were accepted since 2015-16. Uttam also questioned the TRS government over the delay of report of Alair encounter in which five Muslim undertrials were killed. Similarly, he said there has been no progress in filing an appeal against the judgement of NIA Court in Mecca Masjid blast case. 

“The bomb blast at Mecca Masjid and death of several innocent persons is a reality. If all the accused persons are acquitted, then who engineered the blast. Neither NIA, BJP government at the Centre nor TRS government in Telangana appears serious in going for an appeal against the acquittal of all accused persons,” he said. Replying to a question, the TPCC chief announced that Congress would field strong candidates from all seats in the Old City in next elections. 

“I must admit that the Congress party never contested elections in the Old City seriously and always helped MIM. However, from now onwards, we are very serious. MIM became stronger due to Congress party and later betrayed it. This time people will witness a different contest between Congress and MIM,” he said.