Hyderabad: The Congress party will organise a ‘Walk for 12% Muslim Reservation’ on July 2 to pressurise TRS Government for fulfilling its major electoral promise made with the community.
“Congress party has decided to intensify its agitation against TRS Government for its failure to give promised 12% reservation in jobs and education to backward Muslims. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao openly cheated the Muslims on 12% quota. He promised to implement 12% reservation within four months after coming to power. However, even after four years, the implementation on this promise is a very far from reality,” GHCC Minorities Department chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail said in a statement on Saturday.
He informed that the ‘Walk for 12% Muslim Reservation’ was part of a Post Card campaign wherein 12,000 post cards would be sent to the Chief Minister seeking 12% reservation for Muslims.
TheCongress leaders will walk from Gandhi Bhavan to General Post Office (GPO) at Abids to drop their post cards.
Abdullah Sohail described the campaign for 12% quota as a public movement against the cheating done by KCR.
“TRS came to power due to Muslims who trusted KCR’s promise of 12% quota. Having enjoyed power for the last four years, KCR is now simply trying to wash off his hands from the issue. Passing a Bill in the Assembly does not mean that the promise has been fulfilled. TRS Government should implement the 12% quota for Muslims under BC-E category in jobs and education. We will chase KCR till the last mile to either make him fulfil the promise or quit politics,” he said.
The Congress leader pointed out that the Congress party had implemented 5% reservation for Muslims in 2004 in just 58 days after coming to power.
Though the quota was reduced by 1% following the directives of High Court, it is still under implementation. So far, nearly 20 lakh poor Muslims benefitted from 4% reservation provided by the then Congress Government in 2004.
“Additional 8% quota could have provided thousands of jobs and seats to poor Muslims of Telangana. By not implementing the promised 12% quota, KCR has caused huge loss to the Muslim community. The Chief Minister should tender a public apology for the delay and should also explain how he will compensate to the community for the losses,” he said.
Abdullah Sohail said that the fight for 12% Muslim quota was not a purely political issue.
“It is the issue of our self respect. Despitebeing poor and backward, Muslims have always lived with dignity and honour. No political party can dare to cheat the Muslims with fake promises and get away with it,” he said.
“Non-implementationof 12% quota will be an open humiliation for the entire Muslim community and we will not allow KCR to come to us again seeking votes in next elections,” he added.
The Congress leader also appealed the Muslims leaders of TRS to stop misleading the community.
“All Muslims leaders including Deputy CM Mahmood Ali should quit their posts from the government and party to build pressure for 12% quota. This is now or never situation. If TRS and KCR are not punished this time, then other political parties and leaders will make it a ritual to cheat Muslims with lot of other fake promises in future elections,” he said.
Abdullah Sohail informed that the senior leaders including AICC Secretary R.C. Khuntia, TPCC President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and others would take part in the ‘Walk for 12% Muslim Reservation’ on Monday. (INN)