Modi govt should approve bills enhancing BC quota in Telangana: CM Reddy

The state Legislative Assembly on Mar 17 passed two bills to increase BC reservation from from 23 per cent to 42 per cent in educational institutions, employment, elections to rural, urban local body

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday demanded that the Modi government approve state bills aimed at increasing reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in education, employment and local bodies to 42 per cent.

  Addressing a protest organised by National BC Welfare Associations at Jantar Mantar, Reddy said the state government made several representations to the central government for early approval of the bills, but there has been no response.

"Many representations were made to the Centre, but there was no response. Therefore, we are here to protest," he said.

The state Legislative Assembly on March 17 passed two bills to increase BC reservation from from 23 per cent to 42 per cent in educational institutions, employment and elections to rural and urban local bodies. The bills require centre's approval as the proposed BC reservation would exceed the 50 per cent cap on quotas.

"We have sent the reservation bill to the Centre. We are asking (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi that we want to implement it in our state, not in Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh. If we want to give 42 per cent reservation in our state, what problem Modi has in approving it," Reddy asked.

The CM appealed to Modi to listen to the state government's concerns and approve the bills. "We are ready to implement it, approve the bill," he said.

"I am not bothered whether you will implement it across the country. I am not bothered whether you will implement it in your Gujarat. As Telangana CM, we have decided in the Assembly to increase to 42 per cent. What problem you have?"  He also said that the Modi government should not try to dominate the state by being in power at the Centre. "If you dominate, you know what happened to Nizams and Razakar in the past."  Reddy said the Centre, without majority support, has passed many bills such as Triple Talaq, Article 370, Citizen Amendment Act, and farm bills, and today (on Wednesday) tabled the Waqf Bill in Parliament.

He urged the PM not to do injustice to Telangana by stopping the state government from increasing the reservation cap for BCs.

"The BJP is against the welfare of BCs. They have been postponing the census since 2019 because they want to avoid Rahul Gandhi's demand for a caste census. Rahul Gandhi is advocating for reservations based on the caste census," he added.

Besides Reddy, DMK MP Kanimozhi, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Bomma Mahegh Kumar Goud and Communist Party of India national secretary K. Narayana, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and 42 BC unions were present at the protest rally.