HYDERABAD: Even as the chorus for ‘Muslim Bandhu’ has been growing more strident over the past few days, the AIMIM on Monday, September 27, 2021, announced it would pitch for the demand of scheme on the lines of Dalit Bandhu. Party chief Asaduddin Owaisi assured the MIM would raise the demand for such a scheme in the ongoing Assembly session, particularly to help those living in abject poverty. Asad said he would also represent the matter to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
In his address at the symposium on the book, Muslims in Telangana, attended by panel members that submitted a report on Socio-Economic and Educational Conditions of Muslims (2016) to the State government, he backed the idea. While pointing out that of 8.5 % of total 8.8 lakh Muslim households in TS, about 1-2% live in abject poverty, he said at least 1% should be supported with a similar scheme. “This is not an astronomical amount by any measure. We wouldn’t even need new allocation. The unutilised minority budget in the last four years is would amount to Rs 1,800 crore. If this is considered too much, at least 1% or 9,000 households should be considered, which would amount to only `900 crore,” he said.
Panel members G Sudhir and M A Bari, Dr Amir Ullah Khan, Prof Abdul Shaban and other researchers who worked on Muslims in Telangana highlighted the key indicators, suggesting government support to the community.
Criticises Modi’s visit to new Parliament site
Later, Asad criticised the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the premises of the new Parliament building construction site in the dark of the night. He said as per the theory of separation of power ordained by the Constitution and SC judgement, this was clear violation. “As per the theory, the Executive should not intervene in Legislature or Judiciary. PM is part of the Executive and cannot go individually. Why did the Speaker not accompany him? Who is the custodian of Parliament,” he asked.