In Hyderabad, senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of spreading false information about Muslim reservations to stir up communal tensions. Shabbir Ali claimed that Modi and Shah were misleading the public about the 4% Muslim reservation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He wrote an open letter to PM Modi expressing his disappointment over their speeches, which he believed were creating divisions among communities.
Shabbir Ali clarified that the Muslim reservation in the region was not based on religion but on the economic and social status of certain identified groups among Muslims. He explained that the 4% quota was established by legislation passed by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Council, and it did not reduce the quotas for other backward classes like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Classes. The reservation benefits the poorest Muslim families, including those from professions like barber, butcher, and washermen.
The case regarding the 4% Muslim reservation is currently pending in the Supreme Court and will be heard by a Constitutional Bench. Shabbir Ali warned Modi and Shah against making misleading and provocative statements that could influence the court’s decision. He urged them to review the evidence and consider the impact of their words on marginalized Muslim communities. If such remarks continued, he threatened to take legal action.
Shabbir Ali reminded Modi that as the Prime Minister of India, he should represent all citizens regardless of their religion or caste. He accused Modi of taking an anti-Muslim stance for political reasons and harming vulnerable Muslim families in the process. Shabbir Ali called on Modi to speak truthfully and avoid spreading falsehoods that could damage the nation’s social fabric. If Modi and Shah persisted in their divisive rhetoric, Shabbir Ali stated that he would file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court.
