Interview: Irfan Aziz discusses role of professionals, advocates for minorities’ representation in Telangana

Hyderabad: Irfan Aziz, president of All India Professional Congress in Hyderabad and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) state convenor is vying for MLC posts in March 2025. Six seats will be decided in Telangana in March as the term of the former legislature comes to an end.

In an interview with NewsMeter, senior Congress leader Irfan Aziz talks about the role of professionals in the party along with the role of an MLC in the development of Telangana State, challenges for Congress in Hyderabad and the need to get minority representation in the Cabinet in Telangana.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

NewsMeter: You are president of All India Professional Congress in Hyderabad and are looking forward to an MLC post. How will this help the party?

Irfan Aziz: A member of the Legislative Council plays an important role in the development of the State. As an MLC, one can advocate for various development projects, infrastructure, information technology and initiatives in education, healthcare services and other development projects in the State. One can also work toward building entrepreneurship ecosystems and initiatives for women's empowerment and childcare.

A whole set of works can be taken up where the Congress party’s policies can reach people. An MLC has to leverage resources to drive the implementation of promises made by the Congress party in their election manifesto.

NM: Your background is that of a professional Congress member. What is the response from professionals to the Congress party in the State?

Irfan Aziz: In Telangana, the Congress party has over 2,000 professionals enrolled in its ranks and they belong to different spheres in society such as academia, IT, gig workers, doctors, sports, architects, healthcare professionals and non-government organisations.

Professionals play a major role in contributing towards idea generation, resolving issues and implementing policies. I have been interacting with all these verticals and they play a key role in connecting with people.

In 2010, I was a key member of the professional delegation that highlighted the importance of implementing a caste-based census to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which is now being implemented in Telangana. In Hyderabad, those who have been missed will be covered too. We are now preparing the report and that will give an assessment of the caste equations in the State.

Being an active member of the party for the last 25 years, I have worked towards building the wing of professional Congress in the State.

NM: It has been said that Congress is weak in Hyderabad. What is being done to strengthen the party in the city?

Irfan Aziz: Yes, let me be honest. We have to really work hard to communicate and connect effectively with the people of Hyderabad. I know that we have not been able to engage effectively with them.

We are now actively engaging the people of Hyderabad through different channels and mediums. We have set up communication units and formed groups to carry forward our party’s manifesto and the idea of India. More so, we have been vocal in terms of sharing updates on the developmental work we have been doing and how we have been instrumental in creating a good environment for all to grow.

NM: What about the representation of minorities by the Congress party? There is a hue and cry being raised that the minorities are not being effectively represented in Telangana.

Irfan Aziz: To represent the issues of minorities in the State there must be a Cabinet minister who takes the issues of the people and works on them. This is a very important aspect of implementing policies and promises of the Congress party to the minorities. A minister will be a representative of that section of the society and highlight their needs. We are working towards that and there will be changes seen soon.

NM: How are the ‘Six Guarantees’ being implemented by the State?

Irfan Aziz: The six guarantees are being effectively implemented in Telangana. Due to the work done in Telangana, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee requested chief minister Revanth Reddy to speak to the people of Delhi where the guarantees have been released.