Minority welfare budget misuse alleged, criticism targets AIMIM and ruling parties
Hyderabad: Alleging continued failure in the utilisation of the minority welfare budget in Telangana, critics said neither the previous BRS government nor the present Congress administration ensured effective spending, despite repeated announcements and assurances.
They stated that even during the BRS regime, the minority welfare budget remained largely unspent, with the Minority Finance Corporation functioning almost in name only. After the Congress came to power, large budgetary promises were made, but the actual expenditure pattern, they alleged, remained largely unchanged.
The statement accused the Owaisi brothers and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen of aligning themselves with whichever party was in power. It recalled that the party initially opposed the formation of Telangana and raised slogans such as “Royal Telangana,” but later remained part of the BRS-led dispensation for nearly a decade, praising the government throughout that period.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, AIMIM leaders had sharply criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, alleging ideological links with the RSS. However, the statement pointed out that after the Congress assumed power, the same leaders were seen engaging closely with the Chief Minister. It also questioned AIMIM’s decision to extend full support to the Congress without fielding candidates in the Assembly elections, despite publicly criticising Rahul Gandhi.
Minority welfare budget issues raised ahead of Ramadan
The statement urged AIMIM leaders to use their claimed proximity to the Chief Minister to ensure immediate action ahead of Ramadan. It demanded the clearance of pending salary arrears for imams and muezzins and implementation of the promised increase in honorarium from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000, which it said had remained unfulfilled for the past two years.
It further questioned why Ramadan gifts had not been distributed for two consecutive years despite AIMIM’s support to the ruling dispensation. The statement alleged that core minority issues continued to be neglected despite repeated political assurances.
Highlighting conditions in Old City Hyderabad, the statement said residents continued to face problems such as contaminated drinking water, inadequate bus services, dilapidated schools, and damaged roads. It alleged that no visible development had taken place during the ten years of the KCR government or the last two years of Congress rule.
The statement demanded free electricity for mosques and dargahs during Ramadan, a special budget allocation for religious institutions, and concrete measures to address minority welfare issues, asserting that symbolic political claims were no substitute for real action.
About The Author
