Amid tensions after the Andhra Pradesh government unanimously passed a legislation to provide five percent reservation to the Kapus, CM Chandrababu Naidu assured the BC community that the reservation would not be unjust to them in any manner.
Over a teleconference with MLCs and MLAs from his residence in Undavalli, Naidu said that the government fulfilled the promises made to the Kapus while ensuring that no injustice was done to any community.
According to the New Indian Express, the CM told the party members that the Bill was introduced in the Assembly as per the rules, after taking the suggestion of a majority of the BC Commission members.
Stating that the TDP doesn’t see the Kapus and BC community as a votebank, he said that the party has never been unjust to the BC community.
Entrusting the responsibility of highlighting the welfare activities taken up by the government for the Kapus and BCs in the state to key party leaders Kala Venkata Rao, K Atchannaidu and TD Janardhan, he advised the MLAs and MLCs to spread the message of the government’s commitment in fulfilling its promises.
The decision of the government to provide reservation to Kapus, a dominant caste, by including them in the ‘F’ category of the BC list did not go down well with the BC community. The BC community protested the decision by burning effigies and staging dharnas at several places across the state.
They also demanded the BC ministers in the cabinet to resign.
The reservation for the Kapus will provide them reservation in jobs and educational institutions, and not political reservation. Kapus have been demanding reservations for nearly three decades. However, it intensified under the leadership of Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham.
After the decision was announced, the National BC Welfare Association President and TDP MLA R Krishnaiah threatened to approach the court to reject the Bill if the GO was implemented in the state. However, he maintained that he will continue with the party.