Former chief minister and TDP president, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, on Friday told the minority community that it was the TDP that launched several welfare programmes for Muslims.

In a close interaction with the members of the Muslim community at Ponnur in Guntur district, Chandrababu Naidu said that when the TDP came to power in 1983, within two years, in 1985 itself, Minorities Corporation was formed keeping in view the welfare of the Muslims, while Urdu was recognised as second official language later.

“Huz House was set up to enable Muslims to go on Huz pilgrimage from Hyderabad and financial assistance was provided to them,” he said. Maintaining that Urdu University was established by the TDP in Hyderabad and after the State was divided another Urdu University was set up in Kurnool, Chandrababu Naidu said that it is the TDP that provided Ramzan Tofa for over 10 lakh Muslims.

“Even Sankranthi Kanuka was extended during the TDP rule to Muslim community,” the former chief minister said adding that Hyderabad city never witnessed communal clashes after the TDP came to power. The other schemes that were launched after 2014 for the welfare of the community, have now been cancelled, he said.

Observing that he has encouraged higher education by setting up more engineering colleges and encouraged the IT sector only to provide better employment, the TDP supremo said that the 33 per cent reservation for women is yielding good results. “Now you cannot question the Government on any issue and if you raise any issues, you will be ready to face cases,” he said.