Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, his entire Cabinet, Congress MPs and state legislators on Wednesday, August 6, staged a day-long dharna at Jantar Mantar, demanding Presidential assent for two Bills passed by the state legislature for enhancing reservation for backward classes to 42% in education, employment and local bodies.
Top Congress leadership stayed away from the protest but leaders of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners extended their support.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi did not turn up at the dharna but they took to ‘X’ to demand Presidential assent for the Bills.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also did not attend the dharna but backed the demand for Presidential assent.
CM Revanth Reddy led the ‘dharna’ in which Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, state ministers, state Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud, Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs and Backward Class leaders participated.
AICC in-charge for Telangana Meenkashi Natrajan, Digvijay Singh and Deepa Dasmunshi were among the central leaders of the party who addressed the ‘dharna’.
Leaders and MPs of parties like DMK, Samajwadi Party, NCP, CPI and CPI-M participated in the ‘dharna’ to extend their support to the Telangana government.
The Telangana Assembly has passed two Bills in March to enhance Backward Class reservation in education, employment and local bodies to 42%. The Governor had sent the same to the President for her assent as the overall reservation for all categories would breach the 50% cap.
The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues highlighted the need to approve the Bills to do justice to the Backward Class. They mentioned that the Bills were drafted and passed based on the data collected during the caste survey conducted in the state.
Revanth Reddy alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders were doing injustice to Backward Classes by obstructing the Bills.
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% reservation.
The Chief Minister said if PM Modi declines to accept their demand, they would take up the issue at the national level and defeat him in the elections and make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister.
“In the 2029 elections, we won’t let 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.
"The Governor sent the two Bills to the President for her assent, but even after four months, there is no response from the President. Hence, we decided to fight from the 'sadak' (streets) to 'sansad' (Parliament)," Revanth Reddy said.
"The Chief Minister, the entire Cabinet and MPs sought an appointment with the President, but there was no reply. This is unfortunate," he said.
He dismissed the claim by BJP leaders that Muslims were covered under the BC reservation Bills. Stating that the Bills were meant only for reservation to BCs, he advised Central ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to read the Bills.
"These are cheap tactics to deny justice to BCs by using the name of Muslims. The BCs are educated, and they will teach a lesson to the BJP," he said.
Revanth Reddy also dared the BJP to scrap Muslim reservation in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
He slammed BRS leader KT Rama Rao for calling the Congress dharna a “drama”. He remarked that all dramas are happening in KCR’s house. The Chief Minister said while one member of the KCR family supports Backward Class reservation, another member opposes and the third stays neutral.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also exuded confidence that Congress will definitely achieve 42% reservations for Backward Classes. He said the Congress was committed to Backward Class reservation and would ensure its implementation in local body polls.
TPCC president Mahesh Kumar said that Revanth Reddy government’s decision has left PM Modi worried.
“To make a politically bold decision, one needs courage. Conducting a caste survey and reporting that Backward Classes constitute 57%of the population in Telangana is no small feat,” he said.
NCP working president Supriya Sule was all praise for Revanth Reddy for taking a bold decision. She extended her party’s support for the Telangana government’s demand.
DMK leader Kanimozhi also joined the dharna in solidarity with Telangana’s demand for 42% reservations.
She said that her party supports the fight for social justice and equity, and demanded immediate action on the caste census and reservation bill.
She said removing the 50% cap on reservation was the need of the hour to do justice to weaker sections of the society who suffered for centuries in the name of caste.
Kanimozhi said that Tamil Nadu is the forerunner in reservation as it increased the overall quota to 6%.
She alleged that the BJP government was using Governors to stall bills and progress of the states.