Opposition Leader Accuses Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister of Misleading Muslim Community at Iftar Party

Former MLA and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Hafiz Khan launched a scathing critique of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, alleging the state leader made false promises to the Muslim community during a recent government-hosted Iftar party.

Speaking to reporters, Khan expressed outrage over what he characterized as deliberate deception during the sacred month of Ramadan. “On the occasion when Muslims give a lot of importance to spirituality, he has spoken false statements and has lied on record,” Khan stated.

The opposition leader specifically refuted several claims reportedly made by Naidu during the event, including assertions that his administration had allocated Rs. 100 crore to the Dudekula Corporation and increased honorariums for Imams and Moazzams to Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively.

“He didn’t do anything for the benefit of the Muslim community with respect to women who were promised monthly pensions, allotment of Eidgahs and Kabristans, or the development of the Muslim community in any way,” Khan asserted, emphasizing what he described as a complete lack of tangible support for Muslim welfare during Naidu’s current administration.

The controversy emerges against a backdrop of political tension in Andhra Pradesh, where the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government returned to power in 2024, displacing the previous YSRCP government headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The state’s approximately 8% Muslim population represents a significant voting bloc that both major parties have courted extensively.

Khan’s accusations extended beyond unfulfilled promises to more serious allegations regarding the handling of Waqf properties, which are endowments set aside for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. “Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh Babu are taking the Waqf properties that belong to Muslim institutions in the guise of development, and giving it to their own party people,” he claimed.

The YSRCP leader also expressed concern about the current government’s stance on the Waqf Act, suggesting that Naidu’s administration has aligned with the central government’s proposed amendments that have drawn criticism from Muslim organizations across India. “What he did in these years is blatant misuse of his powers by supporting the NDA government and giving arms to the Waqf Act, where they can betray the Muslim community,” Khan said, adding that YSRCP has challenged the amendments in the Supreme Court.

In contrast, Khan praised former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s approach to Muslim welfare, claiming the previous YSRCP government had directed over Rs. 24,000 crore in benefits to the community through direct and indirect benefit transfers during its five-year tenure. “That is the kind of empowerment of the Muslim committee that was done,” he emphasized.

The Andhra Pradesh government has not yet issued an official response to these allegations. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions over minority welfare policies in the state, where religious communities often find themselves at the center of political messaging and policy debates.

Political analysts note that such exchanges between ruling and opposition parties over minority welfare have intensified across India in recent years, particularly as state governments navigate the complex interplay between religious identity, development promises, and electoral considerations.

As the TDP-led government approaches its first 100 days in office, this dispute underscores the continued political significance of Muslim welfare policies in Andhra Pradesh’s political landscape.