Leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) have alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) for political gains in Telangana. The allegations come in wake of the NCBC member Talloju Achary recently seeking an explanation from Karimnagar Police Commissioner V Sathyanarayana and other police officials over the arrest of Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on January 3.
The Commission issued notices to the officials following the BJP BC Morcha leaders' complaint with the NCBC. The Morcha members alleged that the police treated the Karimnagar MP like a "rowdy sheeter" and foisted illegal cases on him.
On January 3, the police had arrested Bandi Sanjay for violating the state government's COVID-19 guidelines, attacking police personnel and violating the provisions of The Disaster Management Act. The BJP was holding a 'Jagarana Deeksha’ against the state's Government Order (GO) 317 introducing a zonal system in the allocation of jobs. He was released after being granted bail by the Telangana High Court, setting aside the local court's orders which had remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.
NCBC member Talloju Achary during the inquiry at Dilkusha guest house in Hyderabad, questioned the police about the manner in which he was arrested. Commission member Talloju asked why the MP was "pushed around" and questioned the alleged use of gas cutters to enter the BJP office at the time of arrest.
The Commission had expressed its unhappiness over the manner of arrest, stating that the police should have prevented people from entering the BJP office, while maintaining the arrest was ‘intentional’. TRS leader, Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Gutha Sukhender Reddy alleged that BJP had dragged the National BC Commission into controversy unnecessarily. "It is unfair to blackmail and threaten officials in the state by NCBC members acting beyond their purview." Gutha has also alleged that NCBC and National SC commissions are being used at the behest of the BJP.
Earlier in August and September of 2021, NCBC Commission had sought a probe from Director General of Police (DGP) on the allegations made by Teenmar Mallanna, a journalist and a BJP sympathiser, who complained to the Commission, alleging undue harassment and unwarranted raids on his office by the police. He was later arrested and sent to jail. Subsequently, the Commission also sought the presence of DGP for the inquiry.
In October 2020, during the Dubbaka bye election, NCBC member Talloju issued a show cause notice to Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar in the wake of allegations of "manhandling" of BJP state president Bandi Sanjay.
TRS BC leader, state Sheep and Goat Development Corporation Chairman Balraj Yadav said that the BC Commission in Telangana had turned into BJP Commission. Speaking to TNM, Yadav said "NCBC is a constitutional body but is acting in favour of BJP. It acts as if only leaders of the BJP are from Backward Classes. BC leaders are present in all parties. If BJP is really working for protecting rights of backward classes, then why is it not initiating caste wise census?" He added "NCBC was established for the advantages of BC communities but the BJP is using it for its political purposes." He has also said that Talloju Achary was indulging in political activities despite holding a member position in the constitutional body.
A look at some of Talloju's tweets proves that he engages in political activities of the BJP. For instance, earlier in February he shared a news report of several politicians from other parties joining the BJP at his residence in Hyderabad. He has also participated in BJP’s OBC conference in Hyderabad, while the same was tweeted by state president Bandi Sanjay, Talloju had retweeted it. In January he retweeted a video clip in which he was criticising Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his family members. In September, while attending “Vishwakarma Athmiya Sammelanam” in Jammikunta of Karimnagar, Talloju had campaigned for BJP’s Eatela Rajender in Huzurabad bye-election. TNM tried to reach out to Talloju Achary for his comments on the matter, but he could not be reached. This report will be updated if and when he responds.
However, BJP Telangana BC morcha defended the NCBC intervention. Aley Bhaskar, BJP BC Morcha state president who filed complaint with NCBC over arrest of Bandi Sanjay in Karimnagar said "We have reached out to NCBC in this specific case as Bandi Sanjay is an elected MP and a BC leader and he was mistreated by the police, NCBC acted as per its rules there were no ulterior motives." When asked about other cases where NCBC has issued notices to the state officials , Aley Bhaskar said, "These two three cases received attention as they involved well known people including an MP. It is unfair to attribute political motives to the NCBC which is the result of years of struggles by backward classes of this country."