BRS leader Abdullah Sohail slams Telangana Govt over minority welfare budget cut

HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail launched a scathing attack on the Telangana Congress government for failing to honour its Rs 4,000 crore allocation promise in the 2025-26 budget. He accused the Congress of once again deceiving minorities by making grand promises before elections but failing to deliver them in the budget.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka announced an allocation of Rs 3,591 crore for minority welfare, an increase from the Rs 3,003 crore allocated last year. However, Abdullah Sohail stated that this was still far below the Rs 4,000 crore that the Congress had assured in its Minority Declaration of 2023.

Sohail also raised serious questions about the Rs 840 crore allocated for minority youth under the ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ scheme, calling it a diversion of funds rather than a dedicated allocation. “The Congress government is trying to mislead minorities by clubbing their welfare with a general scheme that includes SCs, STs, and BCs. There is no clarity on how much will actually reach unemployed minority youth,” he said.

He pointed out that the Congress had promised Rs 1,000 crore annually for subsidized loans to help minority youth and women set up businesses. “Where is this Rs 1,000 crore? Instead, they have included minorities in a general employment scheme, showing their lack of seriousness,” he added.

If the Rs 840 crore separately allotted under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme is excluded, the total allocation for minority welfare comes down to Rs 2,751 crore, which is lower than the allocations made in 2024-25.

Abdullah Sohail strongly criticised the Congress for failing to allocate funds for several promises made in their election manifesto. He pointed out that there was no mention of the Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taleem Scheme, which was supposed to provide financial aid for M.Phil. and Ph.D. students from minority communities. He also slammed the government for not allocating funds for the promised Rs 10,000 – Rs 12,000 honorarium for religious leaders, including Imams, Muezzins, Pastors, and Granthis, despite repeated assurances before the elections.

Similarly, he noted that the Indiramma Indlu housing scheme, which was meant to provide house sites and Rs 5 lakh for minority families, did not include a separate provision for minorities. He further criticized the Congress for failing to increase the Shaadi Mubarak assistance, which was promised to be raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.6 lakh but remains stagnant at Rs 65,000 crore in the budget. He also highlighted the absence of any significant allocation for the protection and development of Wakf properties, despite repeated demands from the community.

The BRS leader slammed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his continued neglect of minority welfare, stating that he had not held a single review meeting on minority-related issues since taking office. “Despite handling the minorities welfare portfolio himself, Revanth Reddy has done nothing to ensure the proper implementation of schemes. His government has completely ignored the demand for a Minorities Sub-Plan,” he said.

He claimed that not even 50% of the budget allocated last year had been spent by the Congress government, and this time too, the Congress government had cheated minorities by making false and misleading announcements.

The BRS leader warned that his party would intensify protests across Telangana to expose the Congress government’s “false promises.” “This budget is yet another betrayal of Telangana’s minorities. The Congress has once again cheated the community by giving less than what was promised. We will not remain silent,” he said.