Hyderabad: Former minister and ex-Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has accused Home Minister Mahmood Ali of misleading the Muslim community just to secure votes in Huzurnagar Assembly bye-elections.
Shabbir Ali, in a media statement on Wednesday, alleged that the Home Minister was highly ignorant on the subject of minorities’ welfare. Referring to Mahmood Ali’s speech in Huzurnagar wherein he claimed that TRS Government was secular and K. Chandrashekhar Rao was a pro-minority Chief Minister, he said Mahmood Ali was openly cheating the community by hiding the truth.
He said Mahmood Ali was personally indebted to KCR for making him Deputy CM in the first term and now the Home Minister, but he was wrong in claiming that that he was first Muslim in the country to enjoy a top position. He pointed out that the Congress party got Zakir Hussain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed elected to the post of Presidents of India. Several Muslims were elevated to the post of Vice Presidents of India, Governors and Union Ministers.
Further, he said so far six Muslims had served as the Chief Ministers of different States. They include Syeda Anwara Taimur (Assam), Abdul Ghafoor (Bihar), C. H. Mohammad Koya (Kerala), Abdul Rahman Antulay (Maharashtra), M. Farroq (Pondicherry) and Barkatullah Khan (Rajasthan). He said Akbar Ali Khan and M.M. Hasham had served as the Home Ministers of united Andhra Pradesh. Present Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha is Ghulam Nabi Azad. Therefore, KCR might be a Godfather for Mahmood Ali, but it was routine for the Congress party to nominate Muslims on top posts. “Even I’ve served as the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council because of Congress party,” he said.
The Congress leader questioned Mahmood Ali’s silence on the issue of 12% Muslim quota which KCR had promised in April 2014. KCR had assured to implement it within four months after coming to power, but did nothing even in six years.
“Mahmood Ali should also have the courage to admit and speak the truth that 4% Muslim reservation under implementation since 2004-05 was given by the Congress regime and so far it has benefitted nearly 25 lakh poor Muslims in Telangana and AP States,” he said.
Shabbir Ali said TRS had also promised to give judicial powers to Wakf Board and also promised to take back all encroached Wakf properties in Telangana State within 6 months after coming to power in 2014.
“What prevented TRS Govt from strengthening the Wakf Board? Not a single inch of encroached Wakf land has been restored and many TRS leaders encroached upon thousands of acres of valuable Wakf property,” he alleged.
He also alleged that a prime Wakf land belonging to Chunti Shah mosque at Osmanpura, which is located exactly opposite to Mahmood Ali’s house, was alienated in 2015. Of 4,990 sq mt, as much as 1,372 sq mt Wakf land was alienated to private parties by the Revenue Department by declaring it as government land.
Despite Mahmood Ali holding the portfolio of Revenue Department, the Wakf land was not yet restored. Similarly, the Ek Khana Masjid, another mosque located on a Wakf property, was demolished by TRS Government in the recent past. Two more mosques in Secretariat premises are also being demolished, he alleged.
Shabbir Ali advised Mahmood Ali to do some research before targeting the Congress party. “Congress regimes not only protected the Wakf properties, but also strengthened the Wakf institutions across India, especially Telangana. Central Wakf Act in 2013 was introduced and National Wakf Development Corporation Limited with a capital of Rs. 500 crore was established to develop Wakf properties.
As the then Minorities’ Welfare Minister in 1994, I took the possession of Razzack Manzil and laid the foundation stone for present Haj House.
Congress Govt purchased two private properties adjacent to Haj House at Nampally. A century-old legal dispute of Dargah Hazrath Ishaq Madani Aulia of Visakhapatnam was resolved and 5,300 acres of land was restored to the Wakf Board by making Revenue Dept withdraw cases in favour of Wakf Board in Supreme Court. Congress Govt also restored 35 acres of land which was acquired for Shamshabad Airport,” he said.
He questioned Mahmood Ali’s silence on cut in minorities’ welfare budget by over 30%, lack of loans for minority youth, denial of scholarship to more than 1.5 lakh poor minority students or the closure of nearly 80% of minority institutions in Telangana in the last 5 years.
He said as the Home Minister, Mahmood Ali should at least explain the status of reports on Alair Encounter and Kishan Bagh Firing Incidents. He should also clarify as to why TRS Govt did not file an appeal against the judgement of CBI Special Court in Mecca Masjid blast case in a higher court.
He said that it was the Congress regime which constituted the Minorities Welfare Department and introduced the minorities’ welfare budget in 1993-94. Starting with Rs. 3 Crore in 1993-94, it was increased to Rs. 1024 crore in 2013-14.
Shabbir Ali challenged Mahmood Ali to show a single instance when KCR confronted Modi Government at the Centre.
He said it has been proved beyond doubt that TRS was B-Team of BJP and the pink party was actually implementing the ‘saffron agenda’ of RSS. Therefore, he advised Mahmood Ali to stop misleading the Muslim community with fake and wrong claims. (INN)