Hyderabad, July 25: Senior BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail has criticized the Congress government for not meeting its commitment of a Rs 4,000 crore budget for minority welfare and establishing a Minorities Sub-Plan for the state.
In response to the budget presented by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu on Thursday, Abdullah Sohail pointed out that only Rs 3,003 crores were allocated for minority welfare. While this is an increase from the Rs 2,262 crores allocated in the Vote-on-Account budget from February 10, it still falls short of the promised Rs 4,000 crores. He argued that the Congress government had failed to honor its pledge, thereby betraying the state's minority communities.
He reminded that the Congress party had issued a Minority Declaration on November 10, 2023, promising to raise the minority welfare budget to Rs 4,000 crores, establish a dedicated Minorities Sub-Plan, and provide Rs 1,000 crores annually for subsidized loans to unemployed minority youth and women. Additional promises included implementing the Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taleem Scheme for financial aid to minority youth completing M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs and other educational levels.
“Why are schemes like Taufa-e-Taleem and others absent from the budget speech?” he questioned.
Abdullah Sohail also highlighted the Congress party’s promises of monthly honorariums of Rs 10,000 - 12,000 for priests, including Imams, Muezzins, Khadims, Pastors, and Granthis. Additionally, there were pledges for house sites and Rs 5 lakhs for constructing homes for houseless minority families under the Indiramma Indlu Scheme and Rs 1,60,000 for newlywed couples from minority communities. “Why have no funds been allocated to meet these promises?” he asked.
Despite being in power for seven months, Abdullah Sohail argued that the Congress government has not fulfilled any of its commitments to minorities. He also criticized the lack of Muslim representation in the Telangana cabinet and noted that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who also handles the minorities welfare portfolio, has not held any review meetings on budget provisions.
Abdullah Sohail accused the Congress government of using the Rs 10,000 crores announced for Hyderabad’s development as a publicity stunt. He suggested that a sincere government would have prioritized revitalizing SETWIN, enhancing skill development, and transforming the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) to improve infrastructure in the Old City, as promised in the Minority Declaration.
“Revanth Reddy seems intent on exacting revenge on minorities who supported the BRS in previous elections. There is no significant representation for Muslim leaders in the government or the Congress party,” he claimed, adding that expectations from a Chief Minister with RSS ties are low.
Abdullah Sohail announced that the BRS party would soon initiate a large-scale protest to highlight the Congress government’s neglect of minority issues in Telangana and pressure it to fulfill all electoral promises, including the Rs 4,000 crore budget and the Minorities Sub-Plan.
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