Former Chairman of the State Minorities Commission for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Abid Rasool Khan, issued a strongly worded statement condemning Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s recent remarks about the Muslim community. During a campaign event, Reddy was quoted as saying, “Congress hai toh Musalman hai, Congress nahi toh aap kuch nahi” (“If there is Congress, there are Muslims; without Congress, you are nothing”).

The comments have sparked outrage among senior Congress leaders and minority representatives, who described the statement as divisive, insensitive, and an attempt to politicise religion in the ongoing Jubilee Hills by-election. In a statement on Wednesday, Abid Rasool Khan described the remarks as factually incorrect, deeply disrespectful, and damaging to the legacy of Muslim contributions to the Congress party and India’s freedom movement.

He reminded the public of the historical role played by Muslim leaders in shaping the Congress party, citing figures such as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who served as Congress President in 1923 and 1940, and Badruddin Tyabji, the first Muslim Congress President in 1887.

Khan, who has served the Congress party for over four decades in various capacities, including as Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), emphasised that the Muslim community has always stood by the Congress and played a vital role in its growth and national service. He called on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to withdraw his remarks and issue a formal apology to both the Muslim community and the Congress party.