Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy acknowledged the critical role played by minority communities in helping the Congress party come to power in Telangana.
Speaking during the National Education Day and Minorities Welfare Day celebrations at Ravindra Bharathi here on Monday, he expressed disappointment over the lack of minority representation in the current Legislative Assembly. This absence, he stated, prevented him from appointing a minority leader to his cabinet, though he reaffirmed his administration's dedication to supporting and representing all communities.
Addressing the gathering, Reddy emphasised the equal importance of Hindus and Muslims to the Congress-led government, referring to them as "two eyes" of his administration. He reiterated his government's commitment to fostering unity and inclusivity, contrasting it with the ruling party at the Centre.
“Right now there are two parivars in the country—one is the Modi parivar, working to instigate animosity in the name of religion, and the other is the Gandhi parivar that is striving for unity. Each of you must decide whether you stand with the Modi parivar or the Gandhi parivar,” he said.
The Chief Minister promised that his administration would focus on advancing education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, emphasising the importance of minority welfare. He paid homage to India’s first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, acknowledging his contributions to India's education policy and commitment to providing quality education to all citizens.
“Muslims are not just a vote bank for us. We consider them as our brothers and family members,” Reddy stated.
Despite the lack of MLAs from minority communities, he highlighted steps his government has taken to ensure minority representation.
Senior Congress leader Shabbir Ali was appointed as a government advisor, while Amer Ali Khan was given an MLC post. Additionally, minority representatives have been appointed to leadership roles within corporations. This is a significant shift, given that no minority official had held a role in the Chief Minister's Office since the tenure of the Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress government in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said.
The Chief Minister also urged minority communities in Telangana and beyond to work diligently to bring Congress to power, particularly in Maharashtra, where he expressed strong support for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
Calling for efforts to unseat the Modi government at the Centre, he expressed his hope to see Rahul Gandhi as the country’s Prime Minister.
Faheem Qureshi, president of the Telangana Minority Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS), stated that minorities have greatly benefited from the welfare schemes implemented by the Chief Minister. Faheem urged Revanth Reddy to issue a special DSC teacher recruitment notification to fill Urdu teacher vacancies in minority educational institutions.
