On Minorities Welfare Day, Telangana CM trains his guns on BJP and BRS

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with Minorities Welfare Minister Moohammed Azahruddin during Minorities Welfare Day, coinciding with the birth anniversary of the first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in Hyderabad on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) sought to project Congress as the only political entity capable of taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), even as he accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of misleading Muslims and having truck with the Narendra Modi government.

Mr. Reddy was speaking on Minorities Welfare Day, coinciding with the birth anniversary of the first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in Hyderabad on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) where he criticised the BJP’s stand on the 4% reservation for Muslims and challenged it to first abolish the quota in Gujarat.

Describing the BJP top brass as “musafir” (tourist), he said, “A musafir from Delhi, from far away, came to Chevella and said that they would form the government in Telangana. They said they would remove the 4% reservation for Muslims. I told those tourists that such people come and go. We have ignored such tourists.” He added, “Along with the majority, Congress will work for minorities, for education and for health.”

Putting the BRS into crosshairs, Mr. Reddy charged the party of failing to keep its promise of 12% reservation for Muslims. “A man promised you 12% reservations. Twelve years have passed and that man has run away. All promises during his time have not been kept,” he said.

The Chief Minister further alleged that the BRS’s car, its election symbol, turned into the BJP’s lotus when it reached Delhi. He questioned the BRS’s record in Parliament and accused its leadership of misleading Muslim voters

“In the past 10 years, how many times in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have they helped you? They have taken your help and given the impression that they are fighting Modi. You are believing him because he speaks Urdu, and say, ‘Let’s vote for him’. But he is deceiving you by speaking Urdu. He wears a sherwani for Ramzan, he sits with you, has biryani, qubani, and later embraces Modi,” he said.

Mr. Reddy said the the minorities had voted for regional parties across the country, who they thought would fight the BJP. He alleged that such parties could eventually join hands with the BJP, and that the Congress would never ally with the BJP.

Turning to education, Mr. Reddy recalled the contribution of Maulana Azad to the development of education. He said former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had entrusted Maulana Azad with the responsibility of advancing education and that he had laid the foundation for the establishment of IITs. This, the Chief Minister said, enabled generations of engineers to emerge.

Mr. Reddy criticised the Union government for discontinuing scholarships for minority students. “I want to ask Modi what sin have they done? It is not in the hands of a person to decide where they should be born, it is Allah’s decision, Bhagwan’s decision. But it is in our hands to help them to come out of poverty. Which God asked you to remove their scholarship? But Modi and Amit bhai (Amit Shah) can do this,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that if India has to be a world leader, the government should focus on education and welfare of minorities along with the SCs and STs. He said the government was committed to quality education and skill development especially against the backdrop of AI threatening jobs in the IT sector. However, blue-collar jobs could not be replaced by AI, and acquiring skills would ensure employment opportunities, he said.

Moving to the city’s development, he said the government had expedited Metro Rail work in the Old City. It will boost economy and employment by means of the Musi rejuvenation project. A night time economy would also be developed along the river, he added. Minister for Minorities Welfare Mohammed Azharuddin, and Advisor to the Telangana Government Mohammad Ali Shabbir also spoke.

Published - November 11, 2026 03:59 pm IST