Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy described the vote as being “more valuable than gold” and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a “conspiracy” aimed at deleting genuine voters. He urged people to ensure that no eligible voter loses the right to vote amid the exercise, and said its consequences will be felt in future elections.

Mr. Reddy was speaking at the Minorities Excellence Summit on Thursday, where he said attempts were being made to delete 60 lakh to 70 lakh votes across State, particularly in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts. He said voters should go to every street and every household to check voter registrations and ensure that not a single eligible person loses the right to vote. “Your vote is more valuable than gold. If your vote, your right, is lost, then all is lost,” he said, adding that what would happen in 2028 or 2029 elections was being decided now.

He also referred to the anomalies identified during the SIR process, including differences in spelling, and urged people to remain vigilant. “To save this State from those who have come from Gujarat to attack you, you have to take the responsibility. Otherwise, later we will face a lot of problems if we don’t pay heed,” he said. He then stressed the importance of communal harmony, saying Hindus and Muslims were not different and describing the two communities as his “two eyes”, he said the government was working to ensure that whatever was being provided to Hindus was also provided to Muslims.

Referring to the SIR exercise in West Bengal, Mr Reddy said some people had been claiming that after “winning Bengal”, Telangana would be their next target. “I want to state clearly, Didi must have let Bengal slide, but here nobody will stay quiet,” he said. He asked people to take responsibility for protecting voters and encouraged workers like ‘Revanth Reddy’ in every polling booth to safeguard the right to vote.

Turning to education and employment, Mr. Reddy said the government had established a Young India Skills University to enhance the skills of students. He urged members of the community to acquire skills, saying that they could transform their lives. “If you want to change your fate, then you will have to educate yourself. From nursery to 12th, get an education; after this, get skilled,” he said.

He said people from the minority community had demonstrated skills to such an extent that they could disassemble and then assemble a fighter jet. Employment, he said, was increasingly based on skills, with lakhs of jobs available in countries such as Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. If a person was skilled, he said, it was possible to earn ₹2 lakh a month. He said that while he would not elaborate on whether engineering and medicine degrees would ensure a job, being skilled would led to employment.

Later, he felicitated youth from minority communities who secured government jobs. He also feliciated students from minority residential schools who achieved top ranks in competitive exams. Minister for Minorities Welfare Mohammed Azharuddin, Hyderabad in-charge minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Advisor to the Telangana Government Mohammad Ali Shabbir also spoke.

Published - August 13, 2026 08:16 pm IST