Intensifying its outreach to minorities ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Congress party on Wednesday constituted various sub-groups of the Minorities Declaration Committee to meet with stakeholders.
The committee held its second meeting on Wednesday, which was chaired by TPCC PAC Convener and Committee Chairman Mohammed Ali Shabbir. Other members present included Convener Zafar Javeed, Shaik Abdullah Sohail, Uzma Shakir, Faheem Qureshi, B. Ezekiel, Syed Azmathullah Hussaini, Deepak John, and Rashed Khan.
The committee finalized a list of leaders and representatives from various religious and social organizations who will be approached in person to seek suggestions for the Minorities Declaration. The committee has also formed four to five sub-groups that will meet with these leaders in the next three to four days.
“We have also decided to hold an interactive meeting with various intellectuals, organizations, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to discuss the proposed Minorities Declaration,” Shabbir Ali said. “The meeting will be held next week in Hyderabad and will be attended by top Congress leaders. It will be an interactive meeting where we will facilitate individuals and organizations to submit their suggestions directly.”
Shabbir Ali further said that prior to the release of the Minorities Declaration, some meetings of the Declaration Committee will also be held in districts with significant minority populations. “Our intention is to gather as many ideas and suggestions as possible from the community members,” he said. “We will be approaching Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, and all other minorities so as to incorporate their wishes and aspirations in the Declaration as well as Manifesto.”
Shabbir Ali said that the Congress party, through the Minorities Declaration, intends to expose the failures of the ruling BRS government in implementing the minorities welfare schemes. It will also convey that only the Congress party cares for minorities and can ensure their development. “The Minorities Declaration will be a comprehensive and visionary document that will cover all aspects of minorities welfare,” he said.
Meanwhile, TPCC Senior Vice President and Committee Convener Zafar Javeed informed that several organizations have already started sharing their suggestions with the committee members. He said that a dedicated WhatsApp number and email ID for sending suggestions to the Declaration Committee will be shared by Thursday. He said that the various sub-groups constituted today will start meeting with the heads of religious and social organizations on an immediate basis. This process will be completed in the next three to four days, he said.
