Hyderabad, June 01: If only Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas had stayed longer at a function to felicitate newly nominated MLC Farooq Hussain at the Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday, he would have heard the rumblings of discontent among the Muslim leaders of the party.
If only he had stayed longer, he would have heard and been alarmed to find out that the rumblings of discontent have been growing at an alarming pace.
Sadly, Mr Srinivas stayed for less than two minutes, having made his way to the Meeting Hall at the Gandhi Bhavan, garlanded Mr Hussain and left, citing a prior appointment.
If Mr Srinivas’s blurred appearance at the meeting resulted in more discontent, the Muslim leaders did not quite display. They were too busy citing the injustices meted out to them to notice the blur of Mr Srinivas arrival and exit.
The dwindling presence of Muslims in party posts, nominated posts, or even in organisation posts were cited to be the injustices meted out to the leaders from the community.
The leaders grumbled that the Muslim were not given party tickets to fight elections on par with their population.
“At the very least, 15 per cent of the party tickets should be given to Muslim candidate. Only one Muslim is serving in the Cabinet. This is sheer injustice to the community,” one of the speakers said.
The Muslim leaders of the party are also up in arms against Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy for neglecting their advice and opting to listen to the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.
“The MIM is dictating terms to the Chief Minister, even though it is not in a position to do so. Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy listens to the MIM rather than taking our advice,” former PCC Joint Secretary Mustafa Ali Baig said.
He revealed that when a delegation consisting of Minority leaders met the Chief Minister to recommend the names of leaders for nominated posts, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy told the delegaiotn that he would consult MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on the issue.
Mr Baig said that the Chief Minister has overlooked their years of dedicated service to the Congress party and is looking at the MIM for decisions on Muslim issues.
Other speakers, including former MLC and AICC member Sultan Ahmed said that if the Congress house is not set in order soon, the Minorities will turn towards other parties.
Till now, the minorities had very limited options, with only the Congress to turn to.
The Muslims had turned away from the TDP after the party supported the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre while the TRS had not given a party ticket to a Muslim candidate yet.
But with the YSR Congress Party being launched and its president YS Jaganmohan Reddy promising four per cent reservations for Muslims, the community has now some leverage to negotiate with the Congress.
Some leaders opine that the Congress has to realise this and make amends. And make amends soon.
——-Agencies