Shabbir Ali Urges BRS Leaders to Clarify Their Stand on Muslim Inclusion in the 42% BC Quota
Advisor to the Telangana Government and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Saturday demanded that leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) clarify their stand on the inclusion of Muslims under the proposed 42% BC quota in Telangana.
Hyderabad: Advisor to the Telangana Government and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Saturday demanded that leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) clarify their stand on the inclusion of Muslims under the proposed 42% BC quota in Telangana.
Addressing a condolence meeting organised by the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Federation at the Media Plus Auditorium, Shabbir Ali questioned whether BRS leaders, including former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and former ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, were supporting the BJP’s demand to remove BC-E Muslims from the OBC category or backing the Congress party’s efforts to enhance the BC quota.
Despite several clarifications that the BC quota was not based on religion, the BJP has been trying to polarise the issue. However, he said that the silence of BRS leaders on the BJP’s stand raises suspicions that they were supporting the BJP’s stance over the removal of Muslims from OBCs.
Shabbir Ali, who attended the event to pay tributes to senior Urdu journalists Syed Shaik Naseeruddin and Syed Khader Mohiuddin Quadri (Waheed Quadri), also extended immediate financial assistance to the bereaved families.
He urged Urdu journalists to remain vigilant and actively assert their rights, especially in matters related to journalist welfare funds. Emphasising that justice cannot be achieved without sustained struggle, he encouraged Urdu media professionals to stay united and aware of their entitlements. He said the Congress government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is committed to the welfare of all communities, including Urdu journalists.
Shabbir Ali also called for proper documentation of the contributions and legacy of Urdu journalists, suggesting that their work be compiled into short books to preserve their memory and inspire future generations.
Accusing the BJP of communalizing every issue related to minorities, he said it was essential for the Urdu media to play a proactive role in exposing communal conspiracies. He reminded the gathering that it was the previous Congress government that had introduced the 4% Muslim reservation under the BC-E category in 2004-05, benefitting over 22 lakh poor Muslims across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He assured that the Congress government is fighting the case in the Supreme Court to safeguard and uphold this reservation.
He further stated that the 42% BC reservation in local body elections proposed by the present Congress government would also benefit poor Muslims classified under BC-E, ensuring their political representation and social upliftment.
Calling upon the Urdu media to highlight the achievements and contributions of Muslim leaders, Shabbir Ali stressed that it was vital to educate the Urdu-speaking population about these milestones to promote awareness and pride within the community.
Paying tribute to Naseeruddin and Waheed Quadri, Shabbir Ali described their demise as an irreparable loss to Urdu journalism. He fondly recalled their decades of service to the field and also remembered other senior journalists who passed away recently, acknowledging their invaluable contributions to the profession.
