CM Revanth Reddy Pledges Equal Welfare, Opportunities for Minorities

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday said his government would treat Hindus and Muslims equally, describing the two communities as his “two eyes” and stressing that minorities must receive equal access to welfare, education, jobs and other opportunities.

Speaking at the Minorities Excellence Summit held at Komaram Bheem Adivasi Bhavan in Banjara Hills, Revanth Reddy said ensuring equal opportunities for minorities was a key objective of his government. He criticised attempts to portray minorities as anti-national and alleged that some forces were deliberately trying to create divisions between communities.

Referring to the recruitment of more than 11,000 teachers, the Chief Minister said minority candidates entering the teaching profession could help promote patriotism and social responsibility among students.

Revanth Reddy recalled that the Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh, led by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, introduced 4% reservations for minorities in 2007. He said the Congress had demonstrated its commitment to secularism through concrete policy measures. He also accused some political parties of seeking to remove minority reservations and said his party would continue to defend secular values.

Highlighting his government’s measures, Revanth Reddy said Mohammed Azharuddin was inducted into the Cabinet to ensure minority representation despite Muslim Congress candidates not winning Assembly seats. He said minorities were also benefiting significantly from the state’s 200-unit free electricity scheme.

The Chief Minister cited the appointment of boxer Nikhat Zareen and cricketer Mohammed Siraj to Group-I-level government positions as examples of recognising sporting achievements. He said the Cabinet approved a relaxation of eligibility rules in Siraj’s case to facilitate his appointment.

Revanth Reddy also targeted the previous government over alleged irregularities in recruitment and Group-I examinations. He claimed examination papers had been sold and said his government subsequently revamped the Telangana Public Service Commission after consulting experts and the Union Public Service Commission leadership.

Despite legal challenges, he said, the government pursued recruitment cases from the High Court to the Supreme Court and completed the appointment process.

Emphasising education and skill development, Revanth Reddy said young people should focus on schooling before acquiring job-oriented skills. He pointed to opportunities in countries such as Germany and Japan and said ITIs were being converted into Advanced Technology Centres while polytechnic colleges were being brought under the Skills University framework.

He urged minority youth who had overcome financial hardships and succeeded in competitive examinations and government recruitment to use their abilities for the development of Telangana and society.

Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Mohammed Azharuddin and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, government adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir, TG Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society chairman Faheem Qureshi and senior officials attended the summit.