Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday declared that the Congress is the only political party that consistently upholds secularism “from Delhi to Gully” and possesses the strength to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both in Telangana and nationwide.
Speaking at a minority outreach meeting in Yousufguda during the Jubilee Hills by-election campaign, Reddy criticised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as a politically unreliable party that silently enabled BJP’s rise by splitting the secular vote.
‘Congress record shows delivery, not just declarations’
Uttam Kumar Reddy contrasted Congress’s track record with BRS’s tenure, stating that nearly 80% of minority colleges had shut down under BRS governance, while welfare schemes for Muslim men stalled. In response, the current Congress government had announced a ₹4,000 crore Minority Declaration, with ₹1,000 crore earmarked for the first two years.
Although full disbursal is pending, implementation has begun, he noted. In the last 22 months, the government approved 2,200 new engineering seats in minority colleges and sanctioned a law and a pharmacy college exclusively for minority students.
He also recalled the 2004–2014 Congress era, during which six medical colleges were approved for minorities. “Congress has always believed in linking welfare with opportunity. Education is our tool for empowerment,” he said.
‘No regional party can replace Congress’s secular leadership’
Reddy asserted that regional parties like the BRS mimic secularism during elections but remain silent on BJP-led cuts to minority welfare. “The BRS never objected when the Centre slashed scholarships and grants. Its silence shows political convenience, not conviction,” he said.
He cited the Congress’s role in introducing the 4% minority reservation, now under legal challenge, which the party continues to defend in the Supreme Court. Telangana, he added, was the first state to formally oppose the proposed Wakf Amendment Act under the Congress regime, prompting other states like Tamil Nadu to follow suit.
A proven national model of inclusive governance
Giving a historical overview, Reddy said the Congress had pioneered separate minority budgets, starting with ₹2 crore in 1993–94 and growing it to over ₹1,000 crore by 2013–14. Nationally, he said, the UPA government created the Ministry of Minority Affairs and raised its budget 27 times.
In contrast, the BJP at the Centre had dismantled key minority schemes, while BRS looked the other way, he charged.
“Congress doesn’t fight for minority rights only in Telangana. We defend them across India. Our secularism is not seasonal it’s structural and proven,” Reddy said.
He appealed to voters in Jubilee Hills to support Congress candidate Naveen Yadav, stating that only Congress could protect secularism, ensure social justice, and uphold constitutional values.