A section of the Muslims residing in old city, along with other progressive Hindu brethren, expressed their serious concern over the minority community being used by all political parties for their selfish political ends.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Shahbaz Ali Khan Amjad, TJAC old city convener, Sana-ulla-Khan, Telangana Praja Front leader, Sridhar Dharmasanam, president Maa Hyderabad, Capt. Pandu Ranga Reddy of Voice of Telangana and Dr Kolluri Chiranjeevi, Convenor, 1969 Udhyamakarula Samakhya, Mannaram Nagaraj, vice-president Maa Hyderabad lashed out political parties for utilizing the minorities for their political ends.
Shabaz Ali Khan criticized Karnataka Minority Welfare Minister Rehman Khan for demanding a separate Bill for the welfare of Muslims. He asked how many Bills the Muslim political leaders keep demanding each time whereas the recommendations made by Justice Sachar Committee and Justice Ranganath Misra Committee are still pending with the Central government for action. Late chief minister YSR had also promised 4% reservations for Muslims in 2004. But nothing materialized so far, he said.
They also questioned the sincerity of the politicians for holding such conventions, especially when the very hotel (in which the convention was held) was built on a disputed Wakf land. They said the Mariot Hotel land originally belonged to ‘Sultan Bagh graveyard and Travellers’ Bungalow Trust. Under this Wakf institution, four acres and four guntas of land was registered in Wakf register. Out of this, Mariot Hotel was built in two acres and 18 guntas, which is now surrounded in controversy.
Capt. Lingala Pandu Ranga Reddy said after the country’s independence accession of erstwhile Hyderabad State, the Muslims were afraid of demanding their legitimate rights. The status of the Muslims, who joined the mainstream politics was such that they were contented with what was given to them. But after 1990s, the Muslims learnt from the struggles made by other communities and started to raise their voice for fighting the rights of their own community.
Dr Kolluri Chiranjeevi said that during 2004 elections, various political parties paid special attention to the Muslims, taking into consideration their voting pattern. These political parties are coming back again with similar offers. He cautioned the Muslim community not to fall a prey to these political gimmicks.
Sridhar Dharmasanam slammed the Congress government for not able to protect the Wakf lands in the State, especially in and around Hyderabad. He said there were over 55,000 acres of surf-e-kas (Inam) lands out of 77,542 acres were presently under unauthorized occupations in the Telangana region alone. Out of which nearly 1,469.28 acres went under illegal occupations in Hyderabad alone whereas 13,480.25 acres in Ranga Reddy district while 1,400.02 acres in Nalgonda district were also illegally occupied.
Mannaram Nagaraj, another vice-president of Maa Hyderabad said most of the beneficiaries in the game belong to Seemandra politicians and businessmen. He declared that Maa Hyderabad would take up awareness campaign among Muslims about this day-light official robbery of the Wakf lands.
Rahim-ull-Khan Niyazi, Mir Hinayat Ali Bakri, Muneeruddin Mujahi and others were also present.
–Agencies