Shabbir Ali Demands BRS Clarity on Muslim Inclusion in Quota

Hyderabad witnessed a significant political statement on March 15, 2024, as senior Congress leader and advisor to the Telangana Government, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, called on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to clarify its position regarding the inclusion of Muslims in the proposed 42% backward class (BC) quota. This demand arose during a condolence meeting organized by the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Federation at the Media Plus Auditorium.

Shabbir Ali scrutinized the BRS leadership, questioning whether key figures like former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao supported the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) call to exclude BC-E Muslims from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He expressed concern over the BRS’s silence on the matter, suggesting it raises doubts about their alignment with the BJP’s agenda.

Despite clarifications that the BC quota is not religion-based, Shabbir highlighted the BJP’s attempts to polarize the issue, which could undermine the representation of Muslims in Telangana’s political landscape. He reinforced the importance of the 4% Muslim reservation introduced by the previous Congress government, which benefited over 22 lakh impoverished Muslims in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

During the meeting, Shabbir Ali also paid tribute to esteemed Urdu journalists Syed Shaik Naseeruddin and Syed Khader Mohiuddin Quadri (known as Waheed Quadri), who recently passed away. He provided immediate financial assistance to their bereaved families, demonstrating solidarity with the Urdu journalism community.

In his remarks, he urged Urdu journalists to remain vigilant and assertive regarding their rights, particularly in relation to welfare funds. He emphasized that justice requires persistent effort and encouraged media professionals to unite in the pursuit of their entitlements. Shabbir assured attendees that the Congress government, under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, is dedicated to the welfare of all communities, including Urdu journalists.

Shabbir Ali proposed the documentation of the contributions of Urdu journalists, suggesting that their legacies be compiled into short publications. He stressed the need for the Urdu media to expose communal conspiracies, particularly those orchestrated by the BJP, which he accused of inflating communal tensions regarding minority issues.

He reminded the audience that it was the Congress government that first implemented a 4% Muslim reservation in the BC-E category, asserting that this initiative was crucial for ensuring the political representation and social upliftment of Muslims within the community. The proposed 42% BC reservation in local body elections, he noted, would also extend benefits to impoverished Muslims classified under BC-E.

Shabbir Ali concluded by calling on the Urdu media to highlight the achievements of Muslim leaders, stressing the importance of educating the Urdu-speaking population about significant milestones that foster community pride. He characterized the loss of Naseeruddin and Waheed Quadri as a significant blow to Urdu journalism, honoring their decades of dedicated service and acknowledging the contributions of other senior journalists who have recently passed away.