Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday sharply criticised BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, describing his recent remarks as insincere. Shabbir accused the BRS of betraying Muslims and aligning with the BJP on key national issues.

“No moral right to speak about me”: Shabbir

Speaking at a gathering of Muslim voters in Yousufguda during the Jubilee Hills by-election campaign, Shabbir said KTR had no moral right to comment on his political position. He recalled that KTR’s father, former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, deliberately contested from Kamareddy to block his Assembly return.

“The same family that tried to end my political career now offers fake sympathy,” he said. Shabbir explained that the Congress high command moved him to Nizamabad Urban in response to BRS’s interference. He described it as a deliberate attempt to silence his voice on Muslim rights and 4% reservation.

“BRS backed BJP 14 times in Parliament”

Shabbir accused KCR of earlier conspiring to remove him as Leader of Opposition by encouraging defections in the Legislative Council. “Despite that, KTR pretends to sympathise with me and blames the Congress. It’s pure political hypocrisy,” he said.

He also alleged that BRS had aided the BJP in Parliament by supporting 14 key bills. “BRS cannot speak of secularism after helping Modi. The people must choose between Congress and those who kneel before the BJP,” he declared.

“Congress delivered; BRS demolished”

Shabbir criticised KCR for failing to raise Muslim reservation to 12% despite a 2014 promise. “In ten years, not only did he fail, but he also shut down 80% of Muslim-run colleges,” he said.

Citing data, Shabbir stated that over 22 lakh Muslim youth across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had benefited from the 4% quota. “Just this year, 1,245 Muslim students received free medical seats under this policy,” he said.

He noted that the Congress established six medical and over 50 engineering colleges for Muslims between 2004 and 2014. “While we built institutions, KCR used police to shut them down,” he added.

“Vote for those who stood with you”

TPCC President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, Md Azharuddin, and other Congress leaders joined the meeting.

Shabbir closed by reminding voters that the Congress had consistently fought for education, employment, and dignity for Muslims. “Congress gave you colleges and opportunities. Now it’s your turn to give Congress your vote,” he said.