Former TRS leader Syed Ibrahim joins Congress

Hyderabad: Former TRS leader from Mahbubnagar, Syed Ibrahim, joined the Congress party in the presence of senior leaders including TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, Mohammed Ali Shabbir.  

For over a decade, Ibrahim remained a top leader and contestant of Assembly elections from Mahbubnagar representing TRS in 2009 and 2011 (by-elections). In 2009 he lost to an Independent candidate N Rajeshwar Reddy with a margin of 5,137 votes and in 2011 he lost the seat with marginal votes of 1,897 to BJP candidate Yennam Srinivas Reddy. Later in 2014, the TRS preferred V Srinivas Goud over him. 

Ibrahim was promised to be compensated with a Legislative Council Seat, which did not materialise prompting his exit from the party. Speaking on the occasion, TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has appealed to the Muslim community not to vote for TRS in next elections if they wish to defeat PM Narendra Modi. “Voting for TRS is like voting for BJP as KCR is an agent of  Modi,” he said
Calling KCR anti-Muslim, Uttam said that the TRS government not only neglected minorities’ welfare, but damaged their cause wherever possible. He said KCR has openly cheated the Muslim community on the issue of 12% Muslim reservation. 

“Poor Muslims hoped for an increase in their quota in jobs and education to 12% and voted for TRS in last elections with the confidence that KCR would honour his promise by implementing it within four months after coming to power. But KCR did nothing in four-and-a-half years. No one in the history of independent India cheated Muslims in such a manner,” he said. Uttam said KCR cheated the Muslims on several fronts with active support from PM Modi. 

“KCR remained silent when BJP govt kept reducing funds for minority welfare every year. Despite holding the portfolio of minorities’ welfare, KCR did not write a single letter to the Prime Minister on issues concerning the minorities,” he said. He also accused KCR of making tall claims of allocating Rs. 2,000 crore for the minorities’ welfare. He challenged KCR to also present the actual figures of amount spent on minorities’ welfare compared to allocations.