Muslims leaders lose faith in K Chandrashekar Rao, complain of neglect

Hyderabad: Once a champion of the Muslim community causes, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is rapidly losing the trust of the community. A large section of the community have accused him of a breach of trust as the TRS government has failed to fulfil his key promises. Even Muslim party leaders are upset over the lack of recognition of their services to the party.

Key promises of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi which seemed too unreal and fudged are 12 per cent reservation in education and employment, restoration of Wakf property attached to Dargah Hussain Shah Vali at Manikonda, judiciary powers to the Wakf Board, construction of an International Islamic Cultural Centre, the construction of Haj House near Hyderabad airport, construction of the hospice at Ajmer, developing the old city as Istanbul, allocation of `1,000 crores for the development of old city, establishment of SEZs for Minorities and the development of Dargah Jahangir Peeran with an outlay of `50 crores. Apart from these promises TRS government failed to bring the Metro Rail to the old city or promote the Urdu language.

Muslims who maintain a distance from the BJP now do not hesitate to have an openly cordial relationship with it.

After Bodhan MLA Shakil Aamir Mohammed’s meeting with BJP MP D. Arvind, another renowned personality of the TRS, Mr. Mahboob Alam Khan, met with minister of state for home affairs G. Kishan Reddy.

Many second rung leaders are waiting for a suitable time to switch their loyalties. Muslim organisations which had extended their support to the TRS are also disappointed with KCR’s attitude. Even the MIM which is still supporting the TRS has started complaining about the failures of the government.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had won the hearts of Muslims during the statehood movement by defending the rights of minorities and applauding the Nizam’s rule. He has always advocated communal harmony. The community was confident that his government would give them their due share in every field. The community did not even raise objections when the TRS fielded only one Muslim in the Assembly elections. But now there are rumblings in the firmament.

The community has also been offended with the inaction of government in the Alair encounter in which five Muslim undertrials were gun downed. The KCR government did not make public the report of the Bhaskar Rao panel in the Mecca Masjid blast case. The community is also incensed with the TRS for not opposing the Triple Talaq Bill, the NIA Amendment Bill and abrogation of Article 370 in parliament.

Jamat-e-Islami state president Hamid Mohammed Khan said we have no reasons to continue our support of the TRS. The party has betrayed us by directly or indirectly supporting bills tabled by BJP government in the Parliament that are counter to Muslim and minority interests.

Abstaining from the debate and voting in parliament on triple talaq shows that it has indirectly supported the Bill, while Mr Mahmood Ali had assured us that party will oppose the policies which are deemed to be interfering with the Sharia.

“We realise that no political party is sympathetic towards our community,” said Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, president Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed, adding that political parties’ policies vary with how the wind blows.

He said the TRS probably assumed that Muslims has no option other than them but the fact is that we have also changed our minds.