Amit Shah’s Claims On Telangana Congress Manifesto: 2 False, 1 Unclear

Mumbai: Amit Shah, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at a rally in Telangana’s Narayanpet on December 2, 2018, contested claims made by the Congress in its manifesto for the upcoming elections in the state.

Of the three claims contested--free electricity to mosques and churches, assistance to minority students and recruitment of Urdu-speaking teachers--two are false and one unclear.

Here’s a fact-check of his claims:

Congress Party in its manifesto promised to provide free electricity to Masjid and Churches but not for the temples. Quota for Urdu teachers will be decided as well. Both TRS and Congress are engaged in minority appeasement: Shri @AmitShah #SaffronTelangana pic.twitter.com/DO0rF2vkon
— BJP (@BJP4India) December 2, 2018

Claim: Congress party says that light (electricity) bill of mosques and churches will be paid by the Telangana government. We have no issues regarding that but why will they not pay for temples? Should they pay for temples or not?

Fact: False. The Congress, in its manifesto, has promised free electricity not only to mosques and churches but also temples and other places of worship.

Source: People's Manifesto, Indian National Congress Telangana

Claim: They [Congress] say Rs 20 lakh will be given to minority students, I want to ask, a poor student from the backward or OBC community who does not have money to study...should get money or not?

Fact: False. The Congress manifesto not only promises assistance to minority students but also to students belonging to other sections of the society like scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other backward classes.

Under promises made to minorities, the Congress, in its manifesto, has said it will give assistance of Rs 20 lakh to poor minority students for overseas education.

Minorities

Under education, the manifesto also promises Rs 25 lakh assistance to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, minorities and other backward class students and also to students belonging to other economically weaker sections for pursuing education overseas.

Education

Source: People's Manifesto, Indian National Congress Telangana

Welfare of Economically Backward Classes

Source: People's Manifesto, Indian National Congress Telangana

SC Welfare

Source: People's Manifesto, Indian National Congress Telangana

Claim: They [Congress] say teachers who know Urdu will be separately recruited...then where will the Telugu speaking teachers go? Where will teachers who can write and read Telugu go?

Fact: Unclear. Under minorities section, the Congress manifesto promises a special district selection committee (DSC) recruitment of Urdu teachers.

The manifesto also promises a mega DSC for recruitment of 20,000 teachers. However, there is no specific mention in the manifesto about Telugu-speaking teachers.'

Minorities