The land in question, located near the Ghairabad Masjid in Shaikpet, is officially designated as defence property under the control of the Ministry of Defence. 

A decision by the Congress-led Telangana government to allocate 2,500 square yards of land in Shaikpet, Hyderabad, for a Muslim cemetery has ignited a firestorm of controversy, exposing what critics call a catastrophic misstep with far-reaching political and security implications. The move, intended to consolidate minority votes ahead of the Jubilee Hills by-elections, has backfired spectacularly, drawing accusations of administrative failure, political opportunism, and even threats to national security.

The land in question, located near the Ghairabad Masjid in Shaikpet, is officially designated as defence property under the control of the Ministry of Defence. The Telangana Waqf Board, tasked with addressing the needs of Muslim communities in areas like Borabanda, Yousufguda, Erragadda, Rahmatnagar, and Shaikpet, proposed the allocation, which was formalized through a government order last week. However, when Waqf Board officials began work at the site, military authorities swiftly intervened, asserting that the land is part of a strategically sensitive defence area where no civilian construction or expansion is permitted.

The decision has raised serious questions about the government’s judgment. How did the Telangana Waqf Board propose allocating such a critical defence asset for a cemetery? More perplexingly, how did the state government blindly approve it? Critics argue the move reflects either gross negligence or an overconfident display of political power, with some sources alleging that Waqf Board Chairman Ajmatullah Hussaini pushed the proposal unilaterally to bolster his personal influence, bypassing senior Muslim leaders within the Congress party.

The fallout has been swift and severe. What began as a local land dispute has snowballed into a national controversy, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) seizing the opportunity to attack the Congress. BJP state president Ramachander Rao framed the issue as evidence of Congress’s “anti-Hindu policies,” while BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticized it as a glaring administrative failure. 

“When we were in power, we allocated 125 acres for similar purposes without ever encroaching on defence land,” Rao remarked, underscoring Congress’s alleged incompetence. The controversy has also alienated the very community it aimed to appease. Local Muslim residents, far from welcoming the cemetery, have protested the decision, arguing that a 2,500-square-yard plot is insufficient for five major neighborhoods and disrupts the tranquility of their area. Holding placards, families have voiced their frustration, labeling the move a hollow political gesture.

The allocation has sparked a broader debate about balancing public needs with national security. While cemeteries are an undeniable social necessity, selecting defence land for such a purpose has drawn sharp criticism. Military bases and their surroundings are integral to national security, and increased civilian activity in these areas could pose significant risks. The government’s apparent failure to consider these factors has been cited as evidence of its immaturity and lack of foresight.

The military’s firm intervention has temporarily halted the project, but the damage to Congress’s reputation is likely to endure. The episode has lent credence to BJP’s narrative that Congress compromises national security for political gain, a charge that could haunt the party in future elections. Social media campaigns and hashtags have amplified the issue, transforming it from a local dispute into a national movement that has left Congress on the defensive.

What began as a seemingly minor administrative decision has exposed deep flaws in governance, strategy, and political foresight. The Shaikpet controversy may well be remembered as a cautionary tale—a small cemetery dispute that risks becoming the political graveyard of the Congress government in Telangana.