Minorities Commission office shifted to a two bedroom abode Abid Rasool Khan files a case in High Court, calls it disgraceful treatment 

Hyderabad, January  23: Complaining of the disgraceful treatment by the Telangana government, Minorities Commission chairman Abid Rasool Khan on Monday questioned the state government’ move to shift the commission’s office from its current Raghava Sadan premises.

The office including furniture, files and other stuff was shifted from Raghava Sadan, where the commission has been working for past three years, to a two bedroom house in Erramanzil two days ago.

Speaking to a press conference at Madina Education Centre in city, Abid Rasool Khan said that a notice was served to the commission asking to vacate the premises and very next day it was shifted.

“It is the institution listed under 10th schedule of the A P Reorganisation Act 2013 and needed to be bifurcated as per the act. Moreover, the commission has been established by virtue of a parliamentary act of 1979. It cannot be shut or closed like this”, he said.

A case has been filed in High Court seeking to facilitate the continuation of Commission as per the A P Reorganisation Act 2013 and instruct the government to ensure its functioning as usual. Hearing on this petition is scheduled on January 25, he added.

He said that he does not have any intention continue as the chairman of the commission but argues that government can not kill such an institution in such a disgusting manner.

He said, “My tenure as a chairman to the commission was over in June 2016 and I wrote to Centre and State government as to clarify on the continuation of my chairmanship. I did not get any reply from both the authorities. My monthly remuneration was also stop from June last year.”

As per reorganisation act the institution must be divided into two for AP and Telangana with chairman for each, said Abid Rasool Khan.

The commission as a nodal agency had raised several issues of minority community and resolved many a cases successfully. Several reports have been submitted to state government including waqf, minority loans, atrocities and others, he stated.

It appears that a recent letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Minorities Commission seeking investigation into the irregularities of waqk properties may have provoked government to resort to such a move, he said.

Mr. Abid Rasool Khan said that if government wanted me to move out I would leave the post but institution must be saved and protected especially when it has all the wherewithal to continue.

He advised the state government not to subside Commission in this way and demanded that a considerable budget be allocated for its functioning.

The Minority Commission has raised hopes among minority communities in the state and it worked for their welfare with all the judicial powers it had. However, state government’s recent move seems to be hampering the hopes of minorities in the state, he said.