New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of blocking Presidential assent to the Backward Class Reservation Bills and warned that Congress would escalate its agitation if the delay continues.
He also dubbed the BJP as anti-Backward Class.
Revanth Reddy, along with several MPs from the southern state and his cabinet ministers, staged a protest over their demand at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.
Besides Reddy, Congress MPs Gourav Gogoi, Jyothimani Sennimalai, DMK MP Kanimozhi, Samajwadi Party, Shivasena (UBT), NCP-SP parliamentarians also took part in the protest and expressed their solidarity to the cause.
While addressing the protest, the Chief Minister highlighted how his government brought two Bills for the Backward Class in Telangana.
He said, “During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had promised to get a caste census done and also to provide 42 percent reservation to the Backward Classes in Telangana. And the Congress government had fulfilled its promise of conducting a caste census and approving 42 percent reservations for OBCs in the state assembly.”
He said that the two bills, which were sent to the President over four months ago, remain unapproved.
Reddy said the Centre’s “indifference was a serious affront to the aspirations of backward communities”.
He also warned the BJP that it would be viewed as anti-BC if the President’s nod was not granted and said that the bills had been pending for the last four months without any response.
He further said that the Telangana government had sought an appointment with the President but had received no response so far.
Slamming the BJP, the Congress leader added, “If the BJP government does jot ensure the approval for the BC Reservation Bills, the Congress would work towards removing it at the Centre.”
He said the Congress was forced to protest both on the streets and in Parliament due to the Centre’s indifference.
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