While the BJP is opposing reservation for Muslims and has even promised to scrap the same in neighbouring Telangana, its ally in Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday assured Muslims that four per cent quota for them in the state will continue.
TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is resorting to false propaganda that the reservations for Muslims will be repealed if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comes to power.
The TDP is contesting next month’s Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state in alliance with the BJP and Jana Sena Party.
During an interaction with Muslims at Nellore, the former Chief Minister promised that soon after the NDA comes to power in the state, Rs 1 lakh financial assistance will be extended to every Muslim for Haj pilgrimage.
Chandrababu Naidu told the Muslim community that though the TDP was part of the NDA even in the past, it never allowed any kind of injustice to be done to the community.
He promised the Muslim community that after coming to power, the NDA will revive all schemes for their welfare which were rescinded by the YSR Congress government and new schemes will also be implemented.
Mentioning that 90 per cent works of the Gurukula (residential) schools for Muslim students was completed, he promised to complete the remaining work within six months of forming the NDA government.
The TDP president alleged that the YSRCP extended unconditional support for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Parliament. He also claimed that the YSRCP backed the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
“While the TDP built a Haj House for the benefit of the Muslim community, Mr Jagan has built palaces for his own comfort,” he said.
Naidu noted that the entire Muslim community is known for trust and courage and they always believe in hard work. He stated that the community is playing a significant role in all sectors. He observed that if there are no Muslims there will be no development.
A majority of the community depends on auto repair works in all urban areas in the two Telugu states, he said.
“Muslim brethren in Hyderabad are far ahead of their community in other parts of the country, in fact, the world, because of the initiatives taken by the TDP when it was in power,” he said.
Recalling that Urdu University was established in Hyderabad during the TDP regime and when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, he said that Haj House too was built by the then TDP government.
Naidu also pointed out various other welfare measures implemented for the Muslim community during the TDP regime and regretted that attacks on Muslim women have been on the rise in the past five years in the state.
Claiming that several mosques were built when he was the Chief Minister, Naidu said Jagan Mohan Reddy had not built even a single mosque during the last five years. He recalled that it was during the TDP rule that direct flights were introduced for Haj pilgrimage.