Congress trying to defame Centre over BC reservation issue: Kishan Reddy

BJP senior leader and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has reiterated that the Congress government’s attempt to provide 42% reservation to the Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies would not at all benefit the BCs, as they would only get 32% reservation since the proposed BC reservations include 10% Muslim quota. He accused the Congress government of resorting to appeasement politics for political gains.

Addressing a protest organised by the BJP OBC Morcha at Dharna Chowk on Saturday, Mr. Reddy said the reservations would indeed be around 32% for the BCs, as 34% reservations in local bodies were already in implementation before the BRS regime in the State. “The Congress government has not completed the process to implement 42% reservations for the BCs. Instead, it’s trying to defame the BJP and the Centre,” he said.

Former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao also reduced the reservations to 23% from 34% in the local bodies for BCs. Now, Mr. Revanth Reddy is also trying to reduce the reservations, he alleged.

“The people of Telangana are observing Revanth Reddy’s anti-BC actions. Despite being in power in the State and at the Centre for many years, the Congress has not conducted a caste census. To do justice to the BCs, the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will conduct a caste census along with the population census. If the Revanth Reddy government is really sincere about the welfare of BCs, I demand that it offer 42% reservation to the BCs as announced,” he added.

BJP State president N. Ramchander Rao also slammed the Congress for its attempts to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 6 over the issue of BC Bills. Mr. Rao said it is the responsibility of the Congress government to implement the two Bills passed by the Telangana Assembly in March this year, which provide 42% reservation to BCs in local bodies, education and employment. BJP senior leaders, including MP Eatala Rajender and MP (Rajya Sanbha) R. Krishanaiah, attended the meeting.