Taking aim at the Telangana government’s proposal for giving 42% reservation to the Backward Classes (BC), the state BJP claimed that the ruling Congress would give 10% of this to Muslims.
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao, who is on a “Ghar Ghar BJP” tour of the state, accused the Congress of using “deceitful tactics” to cheat the BC communities. He was speaking at Peddapalli.
Ramchander Rao said the BJP had unconditionally supported the 42% reservation Bill introduced by the Congress government in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, “but now, the Congress party is trying to provide 10% out of 42% reservation to Muslims, which will not be accepted by our party.”
“The BJP has always opposed religion-based reservation,” he said, adding that if 10% goes to Muslims the “original BCs will lose their rights and they will get only 32% reservation.”
Recalling the Kamareddy BC declaration of the Congress, Rao alleged that the party has deceived and betrayed the BC communities by failing to implement the promises made in the declaration.
He also said the people of Telangana were now looking to give the BJP a chance due to their experience of the BRS’s “corrupt rule” and the Congress’s “anti-people governance”. He said the BJP was steadily expanding its base across the state.
Further taking on the Revanth Reddy government, the state BJP chief asked what it did for the welfare of BCs during the last 19 months. Rao accused Chief Minister Reddy of enacting drama in Delhi by organising a protest at Jantar Mantar because he was allegedly aware that his government would be unable to implement 42% reservation to BCs and wanted to blame the Centre for this.
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Sources said the Revanth Reddy government, which conducted a comprehensive caste survey in Telangana, is proposing to include 14 Muslim groups, including Shias, in the BC category.
In March, the Telangana Assembly passed two key legislations, increasing the BC reservation from 27% to 42% in government jobs, educational institutions, and urban and rural local body polls. The Bills were then sent to Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma for his assent, who has referred them to the President.
On Tuesday, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy flew to New Delhi to join a massive protest at Jantar Mantar to demand Presidential assent for the Bills.
Meanwhile, BRS MLC K Kavitha, daughter of BRS supremo and former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, undertook a 72-hour fast on Monday demanding that the 42% reservation be implemented. Kavitha, along with Telangana Jagruthi workers, launched the fast at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park in Hyderabad.
