Hyderabad: Former minister K.T. Rama Rao asserted that Telangana state was the safest in the country and the TRS government had ensured peace and tranquillity.
Addressing a meeting of imams and muezzins in Nampally, Mr Rama Rao said, “No one felt insecure for a moment in our governance. In the previous four and a half years, there was not a single incident of communal tension. In my childhood, schools used to be closed for at least 4-5 days due to curfew. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had strengthened the law and order situation and maintained communal harmony. We are not just secular in our words, but also in our actions,” he said.
Mr Rama Rao said the CM had never discriminated against the poor on the basis of religion while doling out benefits. The TRS government had evolved schemes to benefit all sections of society. “In our schemes religion was not the criteria. If Hindus were provided gifts for Dasara, Muslims were given gifts on Id and Christians on Christmas. We never treated Muslims as a voting machine.”
He said the TRS government had provided monetary aid of Rs 20 lakh for per student from among the minorities to study overseas, on par with other backward communities. Caretaker Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali said Opposition parties were blaming the TRS for supporting the BJP, which was not true. “During our regime, the BJP weakened. In the GHMC elections, its strength reduced from 35 to two only,” he said.
The TRS government allocated Rs 2,000 crore in the Budget for minorities, which was half of the Union Budget meant for the community, he said.
Meeting convenor and Qakf Board chairman Mohd Saleem said the state was unique for implementing welfare schemes for the minorities. “Other states are replicating our schemes and programmes. Many schemes have been initiated by Mr Chandrasekhar Rao. He provided Rs 22 crore for the new building of Anees ul Gurba orphanage and allocated 10 acres of land and Rs 40 crore for the construction of the Islamic Cultural Centre. The auditorium was built in the Jamia Nizamia at a cost of Rs 14.8 crore. Imams and muezzins of mosques were given Rs 5,000 per month as remuneration ,” he said.
Caretaker home minister Nayini Narasimha Reddy, former MLA Srinivas Goud and others also spoke. Mr Rama Rao was presented a sword on this occasion.
