Telangana Commits to 42% BC Reservations in Local Elections; CM Revanth Reddy Slams BJP for Obstruction
Revanth stated that the High Court has directed the state to conduct local elections within 90 days (by the end of September) and finalize the reservation structure within 30 days (by the end of July). He accused the Central Government of deliberately stalling the approval of two crucial bills passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly related to BC reservations in education, employment, and local bodies.
To press for the passage of these bills during the ongoing Parliament session, Revanth said the Telangana government will meet Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday morning to explain the state's methodology and findings from the Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) survey. The same evening, a PowerPoint presentation will be made to Congress MPs from both Houses to provide a detailed account of the caste survey data and its implications.
Revanth recalled that the Telangana Assembly had witnessed support from BJP, BRS, CPI, and AIMIM for the 42% BC reservation bill. He criticized Union Ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay for using Muslim reservations as an excuse to block BC quotas. The Chief Minister challenged the BJP by pointing out that Muslim reservations are already in effect in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and dared BJP leaders to cancel those if they truly oppose them.
Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's past interview where he acknowledged Muslim reservations in Gujarat, Revanth questioned whether the BJP would suspend Shah for endorsing the same policy they now criticize.
The Chief Minister also declared that Telangana's caste-based survey, started on February 4, 2024, and completed by February 4, 2025, has been placed before the Legislative Assembly for approval. Based on the survey, 56.4% of the state's population belongs to BCs, 17.45% are Scheduled Castes, 10.08% are Scheduled Tribes, and 10.09% belong to upper castes. Interestingly, 3.09% of respondents chose not to disclose their caste, which Revanth said was a new social development in the state.
He stressed that individual details from the survey will not be disclosed, as doing so would violate the Data Privacy Act. The state government handed the survey data to an independent advisory committee of experts, who have submitted their report. This report will be reviewed by the state cabinet before being tabled in the Assembly.
Revanth hailed Telangana's caste enumeration model as a role model for the country and urged the Centre to adopt Telangana's roadmap for nationwide implementation. He recalled that during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had promised caste enumeration, and Telangana became the first state to fulfill that commitment upon coming to power.
Looking ahead, Revanth said the 2029 Lok Sabha elections will serve as a litmus test for OBC reservations. Drawing a parallel with the farmers' protest, he noted that the Centre was forced to repeal the controversial farm laws and similarly had to accept Telangana's lead on caste census.
He also pointed out that the introduction of 10% reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) has rendered the earlier 50% reservation cap irrelevant, strengthening Telangana's case for higher BC quotas.
On another issue, Revanth said the state is actively considering removing the two-child norm currently in place for local body elections. Responding to a query about the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Revanth expressed surprise and called it unfortunate. He urged that the Vice President post should now be given to Telangana.
He criticized the BJP for sidelining BC leaders, stating that former Union Minister Dattatreya was made Governor and his position handed over to Kishan Reddy, while BJP leader Sanjay was removed as state party chief. He suggested that correcting this injustice by nominating Dattatreya as Vice President would be a fitting move. Though the final decision lies with the Congress leadership, Revanth said he would personally support Dattatreya's candidacy if given a chance.
The meeting also discussed political and policy strategies with participation from key leaders and advisors, including Shabbir Ali, Harkar Venu Gopal Rao, MPs Mallu Ravi, Chamal Kiran Kumar Reddy, Ramasahayam Raghurami Reddy, Porika Balram Naik, Kunduru Raghuveer Reddy, Gaddam Vamsi Krishna, Dr. Kadiyam Kavya, Suresh Shetkar, and Anil Kumar Yadav.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
BJP workers among 57 booked for protests against Himachal minister in Seraj
Police in Mandi have registered three FIRs against more than 50 people, including BJP workers, for wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly and rioting after they welcomed Cabinet Minister Jagat Singh Negi with black flags, raised 'go back' slogans and tried to stop his vehicle during his visit to the disaster affected areas under Thunag sub division of the district, officials Saturday said. Negi, the Revenue and Horticulture Minister, is on a four-day visit to the rain-ravaged areas in Mandi. He faced the protests on Friday when he visited the Seraj Assembly constituency, represented by Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, over his announcement of shifting the the College of Horticulture and Forestry from Thunag to Sundernagar in the district. Several purported videos of the protesters throwing black flags and hurling shoes at the minister's cavalcade have been shared on the social media with the ruling Congress accusing the opposition party of orchestrating the protests. The the incident took place under the jurisdiction of Janjehli police station. Mandi police said they have registered cases under sections 126 (2), 189 (2) (wrongful restraint), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191 (2) (rioting) of BNS, officials said. Superintendent of Police (SP), Mandi, Sakshi Verma, said FIRs have been lodged under bailable offences at Janjheli police station. 'One man has been booked for allegedly hurling stones on the cavalcade of the cabinet minister. All three FIRs were registered Friday night. Efforts are on to identify the suspects,' Verma said. The FIRs were registered based on complaints lodged by local Congress leaders Jagdish Reddy and Virendra Kumar. The first FIR accuses protesters of obstructing the minister's path and showing black flags and names 57 individuals as accused. The second FIR includes charges of stone pelting. The third FIR alleges that the minister's vehicle was stopped near the bridge at Thunag market around 5:35 pm where some women reportedly raised slogans against the relocation of the horticulture college, waved black flags, and hurled a shoe at the cavalcade. BJP questions intention behind college shift plan BJP's state unit chief Dr Rajiv Bindal condemned the state government for registering FIRs against BJP workers. 'Minister Negi came to Thunag and issued a notification about the relocation of horticulture college. What was his intention behind it? Only to further hurt the people of Thunag'. Party's former state president Satpal Singh Satti said Jai Ram Thakur, during his tenure as chief minister, had laid the foundation stone of the horticulture college, to come up at a cost of Rs 240 crore. 'All clearances were obtained, but after forming the government, the ruling Congress stalled all development work of the college. Now, under the garb of disaster, the government has decided to shift the institute from Thunag,' Satti said. He also questioned the intention of the state government saying the revenue minister visiting Seraj 26 days after disaster struck. Talking to reporters in Seraj, party's Mandal president Bhishm Thakur confirmed that party workers and locals showed black flags to the ministers and raised the 'go back' slogans in protested against the proposal to shift the horticuture college. He claimed that the protestors were manhandled by the police. At least 15 people died while 34 remain missing following cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in different parts of Mandi on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1. Seraj bore the brunt of the disaster. Negi had earlier said that despite the rain ravaging several parts of the state, LoP Thakur was only interested in his constituency — remarks that had drawn sharp reactions from the BJP and the former chief minister. Protests an insult to minister, BJP's handiwork: Cong On Saturday, Negi said said that he held 'peaceful meetings' at three places and that group of people also called on him at Thunag rest house Friday urging not to shift the college. 'I told them that the matter would be taken up with the government,' he said, adding that they pressed for a statement in favour of their demand and tried to stop the vehicle and raised slogans, which was not right as their problem had already been heard. Negi further said that the horticulture college's location is unsafe, lacks hostel facilities, and even the students want the college to be shifted. Meanwhile, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, in a joint statement, termed the protests as not just an insult to a minister but also a disgrace to the 'democratic set up, cultural dignity, and constitutional values' of the state, read the statement. They further said that Negi had gone to the Seraj region to assess the damage caused by the disaster and to meet the affected families. However, 'some anti-social elements behaved with him in a premeditated and indecent manner. This entire incident appears to have taken place under the patronage of BJP leaders. The BJP has laid the foundation for an extremely unfortunate tradition in the political history of the state, the consequences of which could be quite grave in the future,' read the statement. Minister visits Syathi village On Saturday, Negi visited Syathi village in the Dharampur sub-division to assess the relief and reconstruction efforts and met the affected residents. Later, chairing a review meeting, he said reaching every affected person with relief is the topmost priority of the government. He recalled that Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited Syathi within 24 hours of the disaster and directed officials to ensure immediate relief and rehabilitation. Negi added that crop and orchard damages caused by the disaster will be jointly assessed by the revenue, agriculture, and horticulture departments. Local MLA Chander Shekhar said that 22 families in the region have been directly affected. Sub-divisional magistrate, Dharampur, Joginder Patyal said Rs 3.85 lakh has been distributed under various heads to the affected people.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Manoj Tiwari urges Centre to award Bharat Ratna to Bhojpuri legend Bhikhari Thakur
Synopsis BJP MP Manoj Tiwari has appealed to Home Minister Amit Shah to posthumously award the Bharat Ratna to Bhojpuri folk singer and social reformer Bhikhari Thakur. Tiwari highlighted Thakur's impactful work addressing critical social issues like child marriage and caste discrimination through his music and theatre.
Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Want Bengal govt to respond to Centre's queries on Aparajita Bill: Guv
Kolkata, A day after he sent the Aparajita Bill back to the West Bengal government, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said that he wanted the state administration to respond to the Centre's objections to the legislation. Want Bengal govt to respond to Centre's queries on Aparajita Bill: Guv He also said the Bill was larger in its context and content, and thus required an examination from the President. The West Bengal assembly had unanimously passed the Aparajita Women and Child Bill nearly a month after the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024. "The Aparajita Bill was larger in its context and content. Therefore, I thought that it was something that required the examination of the President of India. Now, the Government of India has raised certain queries, which I have asked the state government to answer. I want the state government to be fully involved in this," he said. Bose sent the Aparajita Bill back to the state government for consideration of the serious objections raised by the Centre over the proposed changes to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that the legislation seeks, a Raj Bhavan source had said on Friday. According to the source, the Centre, in its observation, found that the Aparajita Women and Child Bill, passed in the assembly in September 2024, seeks changes in punishment for rape under multiple sections of the BNS that are 'excessively harsh and disproportionate', the source had said. The Bill proposes enhancement of punishment for rape from the existing minimum of 10 years under the BNS to life imprisonment for the remainder of one's life or death. "There are three options before a governor. First is to give ascent to the Bill. Many Bills I had given ascent because these were very good in every respect, Constitutional within the law of the land. "The second option is that the Bill can be sent back to the Assembly for reconsideration with certain suggestions, or without suggestions. Once passed by the Assembly, the Bill comes back to the Governor, and he has to give assent to the Bill. The third option is to refer it to the President of India," Bose told reporters at the Raj Bhavan here. The Ministry of Home Affairs had "flagged multiple provisions in the Bill as problematic", the source had said. "After taking note of the MHA observation, the Governor has referred those for appropriate consideration to the state government," the source added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
