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Carrying forward the Congress's Muslim outreach in poll-bound Telangana, senior party leader and former Union minister, Salman Khurshid, on Friday underlined the need for a 'minority declaration' in the southern state.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, the veteran Congress leader said, "Forget minority, majority, we want justice for all. The minority community shouldn't be left out when one talks about or pledges justice for all." The Congress, earlier, came out with a 'minority declaration' for Telangana, underlining the party's commitment to work for the "financial upliftment and empowerment" of minorities in the state. Further, in its declaration, the Congress promised to "conduct a caste census within the first six months of assuming power". It also underlined its commitment to raising the budget for minorities' welfare to Rs 4,000 crore while also promising a dedicated 'sub-plan' for Muslims. Also, in its manifesto for the Telangana Assembly polls on November 30, the Congress stated that Rs 1,000 crore per annum will be allocated to provide subsidised loans for jobless minority youth and women. The party also promised a 'Telangana Sikh Minority Finance Corporation', adding that it will provide a yearly corpus of Rs 5 lakh to Muslim, Christian, and Sikh youth on the completion of MPhil and PhD, under the 'Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taleem' scheme. The Congress also proposed other benefits for minorities under the 'commitment to education and employment equity', 'protection of religious rights and culture', 'infrastructure and welfare' and 'Promotion of inclusivity and growth'. Earlier, on Thursday, Khurshid unveiled the party's 'minority declaration' at an event in Hyderabad. The BJP, meanwhile, has vowed to roll back reservations for Muslims and extend the benefit of quotas instead to members of the backward classes, if elected in Telangana. Addressing a public meeting earlier, BJP state president G Krishan Reddy said, "We promise to reverse the 4 per cent reservation being accorded on the basis of religion and extend the benefit, instead, to SC, ST, and OBC people instead. Muslims, Christians and other social groups will also come within the ambit of EBC reservation." The counting of votes for the Telangana Assembly is scheduled for December 3. Telangana is set to see a triangular contest between the BJP, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections. (ANI)
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