Najma Heptullah implementing BJP’s secret agenda: Shabbir Ali

Hyderabad, May 28 : Telangana Congress Vice-President Mohammad Ali Shabbir on Wednesday strongly condemned the remarks of Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptullah wherein she opposed reservation for Muslims.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Shabbir Ali accused Heptullah of implementing the secret agenda of Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar of denying Muslims and other minorities their due share in education and jobs. He said that Heptullah was always confined to the AC rooms and never went out to study the real condition of Muslims in the country. He clarified that the Congress introduced four per cent reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh and proposed 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities at the national level in view of their deteriorating socio-economic conditions.

Referring to the studies conducted during the Congress regime, Shabbir Ali said that reservation to Muslims was not given on the basis of religion. Further, not all members of the community were extended the reservation benefit. However, the socially and economically backward sections of Muslims were identified and reservation was given only to poor Muslims. He advised Heptullah to study the entire aspect of Muslim reservation instead of making generic comments.

Shabbir Ali said that the Congress Government at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh did not please the minorities. It took practical steps like providing reservation to ensure the socio-economic development of the community. He also announced that the community would adopt the path of agitation if the BJP Government at the Centre tries to stop the on-going reservation policy in States and denies the minorities their due share in welfare measures.  INN