Telangana CM Leads Protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to Seek Presidential Nod for Backward Classes Quota Bills

New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday led a protest at the Jantar Mantar here to demand Presidential assent for the Backward Classes reservation bills and alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was stalling the bills passed by the state legislature as it was “anti-OBC”.

The Telangana Assembly passed the two bills in March to enhance reservation for other backward classes (OBC) to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies. The bills were forwarded to the governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent.

Reddy told reporters that the caste census was duly approved by the state cabinet, the assembly, and the people, and questioned how the Centre could undermine the decision of an elected state government.

“We are pro-OBC. Rahul Gandhi is pro-OBC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anti-OBC. We will see how to give this reservation. If he won’t give in this time, we will defeat him in the coming election. The prime minister is least bothered about the caste census. His intentions are there against OBC,” the Congress leader said.

The BJP in Telangana has alleged that Congress, despite promising 42 per cent quotas to BCs, is now allocating 10 per cent of it to Muslims in the guise of backward classes.

Dismissing these allegations as a political stunt, Reddy said it will not save the BJP.

“The governor has approved the bills. Rahul Gandhi is trying to get the legitimate rights for the OBC. Modi has refused to give legitimate rights to OBC,” he alleged.

Scores of Congress workers from Telangana participated in the protest and raised slogans of ‘Congress ki Jai’ and ‘Telangana ki Jai’.

Congress leader from Telangana Vijayashanti said they have been fighting for the rights of backward classes for years.

“This is the second time we are holding such an event. We are demanding 42 per cent reservation for the backward classes,” she said.

Asserting that the OBCs are the backbone of the country, she alleged that the BJP-led central government has been trying to block the move. “Just as Sonia Gandhi helped create Telangana, we will also achieve 42 per cent reservation through our fight,” she asserted.

Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, said if a revolution begins in this country, “it always starts from the South, and Punjab and Bengal support it”.

“If there is anyone who truly dares to be the voice of the last person in line, it is Rahul Gandhi. He is a Brahmin; if he wanted the Prime Minister’s chair, he could have taken it after Dr Manmohan Singh. But instead, he chose to walk across the country. No one else dares to do what he has done,” the MP said while calling Revanth Reddy a “Tiger leader”.

“The Telangana government is the first in the country to take the right steps towards implementing an enhanced caste survey,” said Jothimani Sennimalai, Congress leader from Tamil Nadu.

“I come from Tamil Nadu, a state that already has more than 50 per cent reservation. With this amendment, Telangana will follow suit and become the next state to ensure such inclusive representation,” she said.