Naidu takes part in Iftar recalls TDP’s bond with Muslims

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu participated in the Iftar dinner organised by the state government here on Thursday evening. He offered special prayers along with Muslim religious leaders and later addressed the gathering.

The CM said, “We will work towards the economic upliftment of underprivileged Muslim families. The TDP has always supported the Muslim community. We will ensure the protection of Waqf Board properties.”

The CM said that the party had a strong bond with the Muslims. During the united Andhra Pradesh era, Muslims benefited the most under TDP’s governance. It was N T Rama Rao who first established the Finance Corporation for Muslims, he reminded. He said plans to build a Haj House in Vijayawada were halted by the previous government. Between 2014 and 2019, the TDP government provided financial assistance under the ‘Dulhan Scheme’ to 32,722 minority brides, amounting to Rs 163 crore. “To ensure that no poor Muslim remains hungry during the festival, we introduced the Ramadan Tohfa initiative,” the CM said.

He said as promised in their manifesto, the government had increased the honorarium for Imams to Rs 10,000 and for Muezzins to Rs 5,000. In the recent budget, the government allocated Rs 5,434 crore for Muslim minorities, an increase of Rs 1,300 crore from the previous budget.