All India Congress Committee (AICC) member K. Sivaji on Sunday slammed the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government for “failing to protect the interests of the Muslim minorities in the State who are being attacked by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) men with the tacit support of the ruling party.”
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Sivaji alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had been “prostrating before Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his political survival.”
He said the minorities were safe under the Congress rule at the Centre. But the BJP-led NDA government had been targeting and assaulting the Muslim minorities ever since it came to power.
Recalling that the Congress, under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, had extended reservation to the Muslim minorities, he accused the YSRCP of resorting to double standards by “playing into the hands of the BJP and trying to use the Muslim minorities as mere vote bank.”
Mr. Sivaji said Muslims in Karnataka had taught the “opportunistic BJP” a lesson by voting the Congress to power, and said their counterparts in other States should take a cue from them for their own welfare.
The Congress leader said the YSRCP government was trying to strengthen the BJP government at the Centre by implementing its agenda in the State. The Muslim minorities in Andhra Pradesh were closely watching this, he said, adding that a repeat of Karnataka poll verdict here was sure to overthrow the YSRCP government in the forthcoming elections.
Rahul Gandhi’s New York tour
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gidugu Rudra Raju, meanwhile, attended the event organised by the Indian Overseas Congress in New York for former AICC president Rahul Gandhi.
Prominent Congress leaders from across the country were part of Mr. Gandhi’s overseas tour, where he was interacting with NRIs to drum up support for the party.
Telangana Congress president Revanth Reddy, State party leader and MP Kotamreddy Venkata Reddy and Punjab State Congress president Raja Brar and others were part of the delegation accompanying Mr. Gandhi.
