Muslim Congress Leaders Protest over MLC Exclusion

In an unprecedented show of anger and frustration, hundreds of Congress leaders and activists staged a powerful late-night protest at the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, in the early hours of Monday. The demonstrators, led by prominent Muslim Congress leaders, expressed outrage over the party's continued neglect of the Muslim community by denying them representation in the Legislative Council elections under the MLA quota. 

Addressing the media, the agitated leaders accused the party’s top leadership of systematically sidelining Muslim leaders in Telangana. They alleged that while the Congress government claimed to be inclusive, it had completely ignored Muslims in the allocation of MLC seats, despite their significant contribution to the party’s electoral victory. 

The leaders pointed out that the Congress leadership had earlier ignored Muslim representation during the by-elections for two MLC seats in January this year, and now, it had once again refused to consider a single Muslim candidate for three more MLC seats, while conveniently handing over one seat to its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI). They described this as a deliberate insult to the Muslim community, which comprises nearly 14% of Telangana’s population. 

"It is shocking that a party that claims to stand for social justice and inclusivity has completely crushed the aspirations of Muslim leaders. This is not just neglect - it is an outright betrayal of the community that has historically stood by the Congress," one of the protesting leaders said. 

Another leader questioned the party’s logic behind denying MLC nominations to Muslim candidates. “Yes, it is true that no Muslim Congress candidate won in the last Assembly elections. But has the party ever introspected why it has failed to get a single Muslim candidate elected to the Assembly or Lok Sabha since 2009? The fact is, the Congress party has made little effort to seriously mobilize support for Muslim candidates. Even in the recent elections, Muslim candidates were given tickets but left to fend for themselves without adequate campaign support from senior leaders," he said. 

The protesting leaders reminded the Congress leadership that Muslims played a crucial role in securing the party’s victory in Telangana, voting en bloc against the BRS and BJP. However, after coming to power, the Congress government has shown no urgency in ensuring Muslim representation—either in the cabinet or in nominated positions. 

Hyderabad DCC President Mohammed Waliullah Sameer voiced strong discontent over internal efforts to project the Congress as being in an informal alliance with AIMIM. "There is no alliance between the Congress and MIM. Yet, certain elements within the party are peddling this false narrative to justify sidelining Muslim leaders in Congress. This is causing immense damage to our credibility among our own supporters," he said. 

Waliullah Sameer also revealed that he had sought an appointment to meet Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy but was denied a meeting. "I don’t know what pressure he is under to avoid meeting Muslim Congress leaders. I fought against Asaduddin Owaisi in the last Lok Sabha elections, challenging his dominance over Hyderabad’s politics. But instead of standing with its own leaders, some Congress leaders appear to be appeasing MIM, a party that once accused Congress of being responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition. This duplicity is unacceptable," he said. 

Senior Congress leader Syed Akbar questioned why every other community was being given representation in the MLC elections except Muslims. “When Dalits, BCs, Reddys, and Velamas are all getting representation, why are Muslims being singled out for exclusion?” he asked. 

Former Karwan candidate Osman Al Hajiri demanded that the party immediately reconsider its decision and allocate at least one MLC ticket to a Muslim leader. "This is not just about positions—it is about political dignity and recognition of a community that has stood with the Congress through thick and thin," he said. 

TPCC Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin echoed similar concerns, warning that Muslim leaders within the Congress could no longer tolerate this discrimination. "We are all working towards achieving the vision of Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, but how can we remain silent when our community is being systematically sidelined?" he said. 

The late-night protest at Gandhi Bhavan has sent shockwaves within the Telangana Congress, with pressure now mounting on the state and national leadership to rectify what is being seen as an unfair and politically suicidal decision. 

The leaders warned that if their concerns were not addressed, the Congress could face serious backlash from the Muslim community in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "The party must understand that Muslims are not mere vote banks. We demand equal representation and respect, not just empty rhetoric during elections," a protester said. 

The protesting Congress leaders were later arrested by the police and shifted to a nearby police station.