BCs’ quota being cut to please Muslims, charges BJP on TG caste census

K. Laxman
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of “hatching a conspiracy to please the minority Muslim community by snatching away the rights of the Backward Classes (BCs) in reducing the quota and asked if this was the role model” for the party, on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at New Delhi, Rajya Sabha MP and national OBC morcha persident K. Laxman lashed out at the State government, accusing it of coming out with an “unscientific and flawed caste census” in Telangana which is totally out of tune with reality.

“If the Congress government was really committed to social justice it would have provided legal sanctity, corrected the mistakes and brought it in the form of a Bill. The caste census has been done in a perfunctory manner and showcasing reduced population of BCs is meant to crush them politically,” he charged.

The 42% or 1.60 crore BCs population “cannot be true” as previous surveys have put it at 51-52%, pointed out Mr. Laxman and saw something amiss in reducing the BCs population by 6% . He also faulted the survey for putting about 10% Muslims under the BCs category and questioned if the Constitution had allowed for “Hindu BCs and Muslim BCs”.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi carries the Constitution in his pocket but does not seem to be aware that Dr. Ambedkar had opposed religion-based reservations. Two Muslim communities — Dudekula and Mehtar have been enjoying BC benefits following the Mandal Commission Report recommendation. The erstwhile YSR government had hiked Muslims quota to 4% and KCR increased it to 12% unconstitutionally — all this was done at the cost of BCs’ quota, he maintained

BCs cheated

In a separate press meet here in Hyderabad State office, deputy floor leader in Legislative Assembly Payal Shankar accused the Congress government of “cheating” the BCs by merely passing a resolution stepping the actual implementation for potential enhanced benefits under the cover of ‘Constitutional amendment’.

“Mr. Revanth Reddy has failed to keep up with the promise made as ‘Kamareddy declaration’ before the elections. The government has also refused to explain how the BCs numbers got declined in the last 10 years,” he said and questioned why the government was cagey about releasing district-wise population census figures collected.

Mr. Shankar expressed doubts about the survey results and about the difference in the figures between the last household survey carried out by the previous BRS government about a decade ago and now. “How can the government claim that the previous household survey has no sanctity when the report has been uploaded onto the official website of a government department,” he wondered and was sure the ruling party will face the consequences in the local body polls.