Telangana Budget 2024-25 row: Congress government under fire for 36% increase in Minority Welfare budget

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly condemned the Congress-ruled Telangana Government's budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, accusing it of engaging in "appeasement politics" by significantly increasing the allocation for the Minority Welfare Department. The budget, presented by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly on Thursday, totals Rs 2.91 lakh crore.

The budget has allocated Rs 3,003 crore to the Minority Welfare Department, marking a substantial increase from the Rs 2,200 crore allocated by the previous BRS Government. This represents a 36% hike in funding for the department. Additionally, the Finance Minister announced Rs 33 crore for Ramzan celebrations, Rs 50 lakh for the repair and maintenance of Ashoor Khanas, Rs 2.4 crore for the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in January 2024, and Rs 4.43 crore for Haj pilgrims.

Telangana BJP spokesperson K Krishna Sagar Rao sharply criticised the increased funding, labeling it as "minority appeasement" amidst the state's financial difficulties.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar echoed these sentiments, condemning the Rs 33 crore allocation for Ramzan celebrations while claiming that no new support was provided for Hindu festivals. Kumar also raised concerns about the Tablighi Jamaat, accusing the organisation of promoting extremism and contributing to the spread of coronavirus in 2020.

“It is outrageous that more than Rs 2.45 crore have been sanctioned for the arrangements of the meeting organised by the Tablighi Jamaat organisation in the name of Islamic society in January in Parigi mandal of Vikarabad district,” Kumar was quoted as saying in an Organiser report.

“Does the newly elected Government of Revanth Reddy know this? What are intelligence agencies doing? What do you want to do to Telangana with the Tukde Tukde gang? Congress Government claims that the state is bankrupt, but is funding a program organised by Tablighi Jamaat, which promotes terrorism and the spread of Islam,” Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged.

Blaming the organisation as the main reason for the spread of coronavirus in the country in 2020, Kumar added, “This organisation’s entry into Telangana in the name of gatherings and meetings is leading to many suspicions, that too at a time when the coronavirus is spreading in India again.”

"Who is the mastermind behind the Government’s grant of funds to an organisation involved in spreading extremist ideologies and forced religious conversions?” he asked.

Fact check: SC and ST development funds witness increased allocation

Amidst the controversy over the increase in the minority welfare budget, several netizens alleged that the Congress party raised funding for minority communities while significantly reducing funding for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) welfare programs.

Some netizens claimed that the SC Development Department's budget has been slashed from Rs 21,072 crore to Rs 7,638 crore, while the Tribal Welfare Department's allocation has been reduced from Rs 4,365 crore to Rs 3,969 crore.

"Congress Govt in Telangana decreased SC-ST budget and increased Minority Budget. Reality check to the SC ST voters who voted to Congress on Constitution change scare," claimed one user on X.

Another netizen remarked, "After successfully cutting SC-ST budget & increasing Minority budget in Karnataka, Congress replicates the model in Telangana. A tight SLAP to all SC-ST voters who voted for Congress."

"Everywhere Congress has been continuously reducing the welfare share of Hindu SC -ST and allocating increasing Muslims Budget whether it is of Karnataka or Telangana? This requires to be highlighted before Modi Government and protect allocated share of our deprived societies who require the government support on priority," said a third user on the social media platform.

However, as per the Telangana Budget 2024-25 document obtained by Asianet News Network, the state government has allocated Rs 33,124 crore for SC Development Department and Rs 17,056 crore for Tribal Welfare Department and not the amount that is doing the rounds on X.

"SC & STs would be provided funds as per Law. The funds meant for them will be spent only for them and will not be diverted for any other purposes. In this budget we have proposed Rs.33,124 crores for SCSDF and Rs.17,056 crores for STSDF," read the press release issued by the Telangana government.

TMRIES praises state’s budget allocation for minority welfare

The Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMRIES) has praised the state's budget allocation for minority welfare, noting that it matches the central government's allocation. Mohammed Faheemuddin Qureshi, vice-chairman and president of TMRIES, commended Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu for proposing Rs 3,003 crore for minority welfare in the state budget on Thursday.

Qureshi highlighted that the Union budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, allocated only Rs 3,183 crore for minority welfare across the entire nation.

He criticized the stagnation of the central budget allocation for minorities over the years. “If we add the minority budget of Congress-ruled states like Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, it would be three times the budget of the Central Ministry of Minority Affairs,” Qureshi added.