HYDERABAD: Asking the Muslim community to decide whether it would stand by the side of “Gandhi Parivar” or “Modi Parivar”, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said that the latter would scrap the 4% reservation given to Muslims by the Congress.
“There are two “Parivars” in the country today. One is Modi Parivar and the other is Gandhi Parivar. Modi Parivar is working to instigate animosity among people while the Gandhi Parivar is striving for the unity of the country,” Revanth said, adding that the Congress never treated Muslims as voting machines or vote banks, but as brothers and sisters.
The chief minister was speaking at the National Education Day and Minorities Day celebrations after presenting the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad awards. He also launched the TGMREIS website on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Revanth said that minorities played an important role in bringing Congress to power in the Telangana state. “Hindus and Muslims are two eyes of the Telangana government,” he declared. adding: “We will take the state forward on the path of development by strengthening education and medicare for all communities and create job opportunities for one and all.”
Stating that the Constitution and reservations are in danger, Revant said: “Modi Parivar is trying to divide the country. Minorities should work hard to bring Congress to power in Maharashtra. Only the Congress will render justice to all communities in the country. No one should rest until the Modi government is defeated and Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister of the country.”
He hailed Maulana Abul Kalam Azad saying that his services as the first Education Minister of Independent India remain unparalleled. “The Education Policy introduced by Azad went a long way in making India self-reliant,” the chief minister said.
He said that the Congress is giving political opportunities to Muslims. “There is no minister from the Muslim community in the state Cabinet as not a single candidate from the community was elected to the Assembly. However, we made senior leader Shabbir Ali a government adviser and gave an MLC post to Amir Ali Khan. The Congress government also provided opportunities to minorities in various corporations,” the chief minister said.
Revanth recalled that while no official from Muslim community was appointed in the CMO after the YS Rajashekhara Reddy government. “Now, my government has appointed a minority officer in the CMO. It is the Congress that has provided opportunities to Muslims to become chief ministers and ministers in states across the country,” he added.