Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan Reddy lock horns over Kapu reservation

Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a heated exchange of words between Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu during a debate on Kapu reservation.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Naidu said that his government had decided to provide reservations to the Kapu community without hampering the interests of backward classes.

He further claimed that YS Rajasekhar Reddy cheated the Kapu community over the reservation. "YS Rajasekhar Reddy mentioned the matter in 2004 and 2009 manifesto but what did he do?" he asked.

The TDP supremo also questioned the YSRCP's commitment to five per cent reservation to the Kapu community. He apprised the House that the TDP government had made a bill providing five per cent reservation to Kapus out of the ten per cent reservation the central government provided to the Economically Weaker Sections of society.

Responding to him, Jagan said, "If a filmy villain, cheater comes to assembly, he will look like Chandrababu Naidu. People constrained Chandrababu Naidu to opposition seats only, as he had cheated Kapu community."

"State should not interfere in the ten per cent reservations for economically weaker sections provided by the central government. During TDP regime, allocations were made in the budget for Kapus but no funds were released," he said.

"According to the Supreme Court verdict, reservations should not exceed 50 per cent in any state. Despite knowing that, Chandrababu cheated Kapus in the name of reservations. Many castes are fighting for reservations in the country. But we cannot take any decision as per the Supreme Court verdict. It is the central government that has to take a final call on reservations issue," he added.

Jagan also said the YSRCP promised in their manifesto that they would allocate Rs 2000 crores per annum for Kapu corporation. "Accordingly, we have allocated Rs 2000 crores in our first budget for the same," he said.

The YSRCP chief also claimed that Naidu made "many shallow promises" for the welfare of the Kapu community during 2014 elections but did not fulfill even a single one.

"Chandrababu assured Rs 5000 crores in five years to the community but not even once he spent the funds in full. Chandrababu cheated Kapus in the name of the funds as well as reservations. That's why he failed miserably in the recent elections," Reddy said.

After Reddy's speech, there was a verbal brawl between leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.

In the pandemonium, the speaker adjourned the house for the day.