No Muslim representation in Congress’ Telangana Cabinet sparks social media debate
Hyderabad: In a what came as a major blow to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana, the Joint Action Committee of Telangana Muslim organizations on November 11 declared their support for the Congress party in the State Legislative Assembly election held on November 30. The Congress, backed by Muslim votes, emerged victorious, marking its first time in power in Telangana.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) highlighted that its stance regarding the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2024 would depend on the Congress government fulfilling its commitments to the Muslim community and demonstrating integrity.
Telangana, with a total of 119 seats, holds the highest Muslim population share among all the five states which went to polls in November 2023, standing at 12.6% as per the 2011 Census.
In the recent assembly election, the Congress fielded six Muslim candidates, all of whom faced defeat. Despite the support by Muslims and a significant vote share, the Congress, now in power, has not appointed any Muslim members to ministerial positions. The 12-member Council of Ministers in Telangana is led by CM Anumula Revanth Reddy.
The previous BRS government in the state led by Chief Minister KCR had given crucial Home Ministry to Mohammed Mahmood Ali who was an MLC and not an elected MLA. In the state’s first cabinet from 2014-18 he was Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Revenue, Stamps and Registrations, Relief and Rehabilitation, Urban Land Ceiling.
The absence of Muslim representation in the Congress's 12-member Council of Ministers in Telangana has sparked a debate, gaining momentum on social media platforms. This discussion gained further attention following the controversial remarks made by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat during the 'Sankeerthana Yatra' as part of Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, on December 24.
Bhat's remarks praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for criminalizing the practice of triple talaq, suggesting that Muslim women were granted "permanent husbands" through this legal intervention. He also issued warnings and challenges regarding the hijab ban in educational institutions, raising concerns and discussions within the public sphere.
The current 12-member Council of Ministers in Telangana is 7 short of 19-member Coucil KCR had in BRS government and CM Revanth Reddy holds all the unallocated portfolios in the cabinet. It will be interesting to see if any Muslim MLC gets a ministerial berth under the Revanth Reddy administration in the state as and when the cabinet is extended further.
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Man killed in flat ceiling plaster crash, wife and son hurt
Thane (PTI): A 45-year-old man was killed, and his wife and son were injured when a portion of plaster from the ceiling collapsed in their flat in a seven-storey building in Thane on Saturday, officials said.
Chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell, Yasin Tadvi, said the 16-year-old building is not listed in the "dangerous" category.
"The incident occurred in Karumdev Society at about 3 am. The plaster of the hall in a flat on the terrace floor suddenly fell while the occupants were asleep", he said.
Of the four people who were inside the room, two suffered minor injuries and were discharged after primary treatment, Tadvi stated.
The injured persons were identified as Arpita More (42), who suffered minor head injuries, and her son Arush More (16), who sustained injuries to both legs.
Manoj More (45), who sustained chest injuries, died during treatment at a private hospital.
