The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad Member of Parliament (MP) Asaduddin Owaisi has stepped up pressure on the Telangana government, urging it to immediately issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) or Family Register Certificates in the state.
In order to help vulnerable sections of society secure their names in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Owaisi urged the state Congress government.
, Owaisi met Telangana Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju along with Faheem Qureshi, president and vice chairman of the Telangana Minority Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS).
He demanded that the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government use its powers under Article 162 to issue these certificates, particularly to the poor, minorities, Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes.
Speaking after the meeting, Owaisi highlighted that many ordinary citizens in Telangana lack essential documents, which could lead to their exclusion from the final voter list.
He pointed out that the state already possesses reliable databases such as the Samagra Kutumba Survey, the Socio-Economic and Caste Survey of 2024-25, the BHU Bharati Act 2025 records, Food Security Cards, municipal tax records, and school documents. These, he argued, could form the basis for issuing PRCs without much delay.
The AIMIM President drew attention to stark statistics on documentation gaps. Citing data from five states, he noted that nearly 52 per cent of poor people do not possess birth certificates, while 42 per cent lack both caste and domicile certificates.
In contrast, around 82.3 per cent of children from well-off families have birth certificates. “If the ruling party does not realise that the poor of Telangana do not have documents, they are completely cut off from reality,” he said.
Taking inspiration from Congress-ruled Karnataka
Taking reference from neighbouring Karnataka, where the Congress government is already issuing PRCs through a Government Order under the Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011.
“If Karnataka can do it, why can’t Telangana?” Owaisi asked.
This is not the first time Owaisi has raised the issue. On July 6, he had publicly appealed to the state government to act swiftly, warning that many daily wage earners and marginalised communities were approaching his party workers, saying they lacked the necessary papers. He had also raised the matter with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and sought a meeting with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
Owaisi cautioned the Congress party against waiting until after the final voter list is published.
“Do not come to the people later to console them and then talk about a conspiracy,” he said. “If there is a conspiracy, find a solution. The solution is issuing PRCs.”
He further criticised the ruling party for holding meetings instead of taking concrete action and urged the two BJP MPs from the state, who are Union ministers, to press the Election Commission to accept alternative documents such as PAN cards, driving licences, and Food Security Cards.
Political observers see Owaisi’s renewed push as an attempt to position AIMIM as a strong advocate for the underprivileged ahead of future electoral battles in Telangana. With the SIR process underway, the demand for PRCs has gained urgency, as thousands of voters risk being left out due to missing paperwork.
(with agencies input)
