Hyderabad: Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the Congress government would ensure the 42 per cent BC quota in Telangana. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve the pending BC Reservation Bill, which, he said, had support from all political parties in the state.
Tummala accuses the BJP of blocking the BC Bill
Speaking at a BC meeting, Tummala said India represents all faiths and communities. For equality, every citizen must enjoy constitutional rights, he said. He recalled that during the Kanyakumari to Kashmir padayatra, Rahul Gandhi promised to provide justice to BCs through constitutional reform.
Under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the state conducted a BC survey that showed BCs formed 56 per cent of the population. The Cabinet later approved 42 per cent reservations for BCs and sent the Bill for approval to the Governor and the President.
Tummala said both the Governor and the Centre failed to act quickly. Instead of following the Constitution, they delayed the Bill. He accused the BJP-led Centre of blocking the measure for political reasons.
‘Modi should approve the BC Bill’
Tummala said a constitutional amendment in Gujarat made it possible for Narendra Modi, a BC leader, to become Prime Minister. Therefore, he said, Modi should now approve the 42 per cent BC quota Bill backed by all parties in Telangana.
He warned that if the Centre continued to delay, the BJP would face defeat in the people’s court. According to him, Telangana had already set an example by completing the BC census, which later inspired the Centre to plan a national caste survey.
‘Reservations key to social equality’
The minister said education and employment for every community were possible only through reservations. He added that the Cabinet would meet again on October 23 with legal experts to finalise a plan without legal hurdles.
He expressed confidence that the Congress government would deliver justice and achieve the 42 per cent BC quota soon.
Leaders across parties support BC quota
Leaders from CPI, CPM, MRPS, Mala Mahanadu, and several BC associations attended the meeting. Congress leaders Dr Matta Dayanand Vijay Kumar, Narayana Varaka Srinivas Rao, and local activists also spoke. Party workers, MLAs, and supporters of Tummala and Dayanand joined the event.
