Muslim body says no unconditional support for Congress in LS polls

Hyderabad: Tehreek Muslim Shabban president and Telangana Muslim Joint Action Committee convener Mohammed Mushtaq Mallik on Monday stated that Muslim organisations will not unconditionally support the Congress or any other party in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Mushtaq Mallik alleged that the Congress government in Telangana headed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directly or indirectly humiliated Muslims ever since it came to power. “On one side, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks of an ideological battle with the RSS. But in Telangana the influx of people with RSS or BJP backgrounds in the Congress has increased,” he stated.

He pointed out the inclusion of ex-BJP leader Jitender Reddy, who was given an official state position by Revanth Reddy. They are given essential government positions. He said, “Within a day of joining Congress, Jithender Reddy was appointed as the government’s special representative in New Delhi and advisor to government (sports affairs) in the rank of state minister,” added Malik.

“There are several Congress candidates with RSS background and those who made anti-Muslim comments during their stint with the BJP, recently joined the Congress and changed the colour of their hands, the Muslims will not accept their leadership. Congress should not try to impose BJP or RSS leaders upon the Muslims in the garb of secularism. Muslim organisations will not only reject such candidates but campaign against them in the coming elections,” he said. “The Congress party should not be under the impression that the Muslim community and their organisations would support it outrightly fearing that BJP might come to power. Muslims will not cast their vote due to fear of BJP or Narendra Modi.

They will cast their vote depending upon the party and the secular credentials of individual candidates,” said Mushtaq Mallik. He added that the Congress cannot take Muslim voters for granted expecting them to elect anyone they field. “The Congress government in Telangana did not have a soft beginning as far as its pro-minority approach is concerned. It denied a cabinet berth to any Muslim. Any Muslim leader could’ve been easily inducted into the cabinet, and later could’ve been elected as an MLC,” stated Mushtaq Mallik.

The state government was aware that recommending the name of journalist Amer Ali Khan under the Governor’s Quota would run into legal complications. “Did the Congress not anticipate that the names of Amer Ali Khan and Prof Kodandaram approved by the cabinet for appointment as MLCs under the Governor’s quota would be challenged?