Telangana minister Ponnam Prabhakar accuses BJP of trying to block enhanced BC quota
The minister was responding to state BJP president N Ramchander Rao's claim that it is not feasible to include BC reservations in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
'It is very much possible if Telangana BJP MPs belonging to BC communities quit their posts to support this cause,' Prabhakar said.
In a statement issued here, the minister, who is also a BC leader, alleged that Ramchander Rao has once again revealed the BJP's 'real stand' on BCs and reservations. 'Tamil Nadu had successfully implemented a similar reservation structure in the past, setting a precedent,' he said.
Prabhakar said that states have the authority to enhance reservations if they have credible empirical data. Telangana, he noted, has followed due process — conducting a comprehensive survey, securing Cabinet approval, and forwarding the proposal to the Centre for inclusion in the Ninth Schedule.
The minister also accused the BJP of lacking consistency, recalling how the party justified exceeding the 50% cap during the introduction of EWS quota.
He further alleged that the BJP's leadership structure itself reflects discrimination, having failed to elevate BC leaders to key positions like legislative party leader in the Assembly and state unit chief.
Calling upon BC communities across Telangana to unite and resist what he termed as BJP's conspiracy, the minister affirmed the Congress' commitment to social justice, highlighting the appointments of a BC leader as TPCC president and an SC leader as the deputy CM in the current Congress government in the state.
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