Shabbir slams CM KCR for not including Muslim freedom fighters in official Advertisement

Hyderabad: Former Minister & ex-Leader of Opposition Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly criticised Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao for not including the photos of Muslim Freedom Fighters in the official Advertisement issued by Telangana Govt on 'Swatantra Bharat Vajrotsavalu' published on 8th August.

"The TRS Govt did not include the picture of any freedom fighter belonging to the Muslim community. Although it is incorrect to identify the freedom fighters, who fought and even laid down their lives for the country's independence, based on their religion, we are forced to raise the issue when you selectively omitted the pictures of Muslim freedom fighters from the official advertisement. The advertisement was published on the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. But it is highly condemnable that the TRS Govt has not included in its advertisement the picture of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad who had spent a large part of his life in jail for his participation in India's Freedom movement. During the Quit India movement, Moulana Azad was imprisoned from 1942 to 1945 with other senior leaders of the Congress party," Shabbir Ali told CM KCR in an open letter on Wednesday.

Shabbir Ali alleged that CM KCR's hatred for the Muslim community and its leaders was no more a secret. "KCR's government has been targetting the community and all the institutions related to its welfare, including minority colleges, since 2014. CM KCR's dislike for Muslim leaders, including freedom fighters, is evident from the fact he did not attend a single official function on the birth anniversary of Moulana Azad on the 11th of November, which is also celebrated as the National Education Day. Thousands of Muslims have sacrificed their lives for India's independence. I need not mention their names as the entire nation knows about their contribution and sacrifices. By avoiding their pictures in official advertisements KCR cannot undermine their role in bringing freedom to this country," he alleged.

The Congress leader said that the non-inclusion of a picture of any Muslim freedom fighter in the official advertisement for 'Swatantra Bharat Vajrotsavalu' has once again exposed the communal mentality of the TRS Govt. However, he said if the non-inclusion of the picture of Moulana Azad and other freedom fighters was due to error, then TRS Govt must prove its sincerity by taking exemplary action against those responsible for the mistake.

"Regrettably, KCR Govt has become habituated to hurting the sentiments of secular people and then it hushes up the matter with some excuse. KCR government has so far illegally demolished six mosques in broad daylight and it never apologised for the same. The demolition of Masjid-e-Khaja Mahmood in Shamshabad on 2nd August is a recent example. The mosque was illegally demolished and following protest by Muslim organisations and other parties, it ordered its reconstruction. If the demolition was wrong and illegal, then why not a single official involved in the act was punished?" he asked.

Shabbir Ali demanded that CM KCR tender an unconditional apology for not including the picture of Muslim freedom fighters in the official advertisement of 'Swatantra Bharat Vajrotsavalu' and take necessary action. "If KCR is genuinely secular, then he must take measures to ensure that his government does not hurt the Muslim sentiments in the future," he demanded.

"In the previous Congress Govt headed by Dr. Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy, I was the Hyderabad Incharge Minister and we had named the Godavari River Water scheme as Maulana Abul Kalam Hyderabad Sujala Saravanthi scheme. However, KCR Govt has either changed the name or Moulana Azad's name is deliberately being avoided," he alleged.

He also marked a copy of the letter to K. Keshava Rao Garu, MP & Chairman of 'Swatantra Bharat Vajrotsavalu' Committee appointed by the State Govt.