Telangana CM, ministers wait for audience with President over BC reservation issue

New Delhi: Telangana Congress leaders led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy continued to camp in New Delhi for the third day on Thursday, demanding Presidential assent for the two Bills passed by the state legislature for 42 per cent reservation for the Backward Classes.

The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers, MPs and MLAs, who staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar, have sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu.

However, they have not received any communication from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, while talking to media persons on Wednesday, had voiced concern over not receiving any response to their request for an audience with the President.

The Chief Minister believes that the BJP-led NDA government may be “pressurising” the President not to give an appointment to them.

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Revanth Reddy, who led the dharna at Jantar Mantar, cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meetings with the President a couple of days ago. “I think they are pressurising the President not to give an appointment,” he said.

The Chief Minister is likely to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi to brief them on the protest.

Revanth Reddy may announce the Congress government’s future course of action on the 42 per cent BC reservation.

The Telangana Assembly passed two Bills in March to enhance BC reservation in education, employment and local bodies to 42 per cent. The Governor sent the same to the President for her assent, as the overall reservation for all caste groups would breach the 50 per cent cap.

During their speeches at the dharna, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues highlighted the need to approve the Bills to do justice to the BCs. They mentioned that the Bills were drafted and passed based on the data collected during the caste survey conducted in the state.

Stating that the Congress party gave a call for ‘Chalo Delhi’ to mobilise support of various parties, he said the party was determined to achieve the goal of 42 per cent reservation.

“In the 2029 elections, we won’t let the BJP get even one seat more than 150. We take the responsibility to defeat Narendra Modi and make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister. I swear this with Jantar Mantar as the witness,” he said.

Meanwhile, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said on Thursday that the Congress would continue its fight for BC reservation. Talking to reporters in Delhi, he exuded confidence that the goal would be achieved through the struggle in a Gandhian way.

Prabhakar predicted the BJP’s defeat in the coming elections over the BC reservation issue.

He slammed Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy for “opposing BC reservation in the name of Muslims”.