‘Don’t Test Court’s Patience,’ Bench Warns Petitioners in BC Quota Case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday made significant observations during the ongoing hearing related to the Backward Classes (BC) reservation case, advising petitioners to remain concise and focused on their arguments. The bench remarked that this was not the final hearing and urged the petitioners not to elaborate on every issue in excessive detail.

The court also issued a gentle warning to the petitioners, asking them not to test its patience or spend hours debating the same points repeatedly. The judges emphasized the need to use the court’s time effectively and to avoid unnecessary repetition.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the government, presented arguments in defense of the state’s decision to implement BC reservations. He noted that the Telangana Legislative Assembly had unanimously approved the measure, and therefore, seeking a stay on the government order was unjustified.

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Singhvi further argued that the government has the authority to revise reservation quotas based on the socio-economic needs of the population. Expressing concern over the length of the petitioners’ arguments, he remarked, “If they continue to argue for hours, when will we get our turn to respond?”

Questioning the petitioners’ stance, Singhvi asked, “Do they believe the caste census is fabricated? How can they make such claims without understanding the facts?”

Recalling past developments, he pointed out that when the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act was passed in 2018, no similar objections were raised. Moreover, in 2019, the implementation of the 10% EWS quota across the country had already pushed total reservations beyond 50%. With that addition, the overall percentage had effectively reached 60%, he said.

Singhvi also informed the court that the BC reservation bill had been pending with the Governor for six months, without any decision — neither approval nor rejection. “The state government has fulfilled its responsibility, but the bill continues to remain in limbo,” he added.

The High Court will continue hearing the matter, with both sides expected to present detailed arguments in the coming days.