Hyderabad: Congress leader and Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Friday said Muslims in Telangana could achieve real empowerment only through strong political representation.
While launching the New Year calendar of the All Minority Employees Welfare Association, he stressed that Muslims make up nearly 15 percent of the state’s population. Therefore, they must receive proportional representation in political and public institutions.
He also recalled the 4 percent reservation introduced in 2004 under the Congress government led by Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. That policy, according to Shabbir Ali, benefited over 22 lakh economically weaker Muslim families. Many students from the community gained admission into professional courses like MBBS. In addition, the same quota was applied in government recruitment, except during periods affected by legal challenges.
Muslims gained governance roles through BC-E inclusion
Explaining the impact of BC-E classification, he said the Congress government had enabled Muslims to contest from seats reserved for Backward Classes. As a result, hundreds of Muslims secured elected roles. These included positions such as Sarpanches, ZPTC and MPTC members, Corporators, Councillors, Mayors, and Zilla Parishad Chairpersons.
Moreover, Muslim leaders also found space in cooperative bodies and agricultural market committees. Their inclusion ensured the community’s voice in policymaking and civic delivery.
Reflecting on past milestones, Shabbir Ali said the country’s first Minority Welfare Department was created during his tenure in the Cabinet of Vijayabhaskar Reddy. That institutional step paved the way for a separate budget dedicated to minority welfare. Consequently, it enabled the government to implement targeted policies impacting lakhs of people.
He urged the Muslim community to support secular leadership and remain focused on representation. According to him, the BJP frequently sparks communal issues to distract from its governance failures. He cited the recent debate on ‘Vande Mataram’ as a clear example of manufactured controversy.
Offering historical context, he explained that the Constituent Assembly adopted ‘Vande Mataram’ as the National Song on January 24, 1950—the same day it approved ‘Jana Gana Mana’ as the National Anthem. Only the first two stanzas of the song were adopted, based on national consensus, to ensure broad acceptance.
In his view, the BJP politicised the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’ by reviving false claims against Congress. He reaffirmed that the Congress-led Telangana government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is committed to inclusive, secular governance. Every community, he said, enjoys equal rights, representation, and voice in the state’s democratic structure.