HYDERABAD: Pointing out that the Telangana government provides reservations based on social and educational backwardness, not religion, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday rejected the BJP’s demand to remove Muslims from the Backward Classes (BC) reservation category.
He pointed out that several BJP-ruled states have been extending BC reservations to Muslim communities for decades. “First withdraw Muslim reservations in those states, then offer suggestions to Telangana,” he said, addressing reporters in New Delhi.
Revanth referred to a recent High Court order directing the state to conduct local body elections within 90 days and determine reservation criteria within 30 days. He reiterated his government’s commitment to complete the local elections by September 30, contingent on the Union government approving two Bills passed by the state legislature to enhance BC reservations to 42%.
Questions BJP on quota
The chief minister criticised BJP leaders G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay for their stance on Muslim reservations. “Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra have been implementing these quotas for 40 to 50 years. If you want to remove them, start in those states,” he said.
Referring to an interview in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah acknowledged that Gujarat had long implemented such reservations, the chief minister questioned: “Will you suspend Amit Shah from the BJP for saying that?”
He said the Constitution does not differ for political parties. “We are seeking an enhancement in reservations as per the Constitution,” Revanth said, alleging that BJP was using the Muslim quota issue as a pretext to obstruct BC reservations. “If they try to stop it, the people will wipe out the BJP from Telangana,” he warned.
Revanth said the state does not provide reservations based on religious identity. “We do not look at whether someone is Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Christian, or Buddhist.
Backwardness is the only criteria,” he said, describing the BJP’s argument as a misinterpretation.
He added that Muslim sub-castes have been part of BC lists since 1979. “In Madhya Pradesh, 38 of the 87 BC castes are Muslim sub-castes. In Uttar Pradesh, it is five, and in Gujarat, 28,” he noted.
Centre asked to clear Bills
The chief minister urged the Centre to clear the two bills passed by the Telangana Assembly seeking to increase BC reservations in local bodies, education and employment to 42%. “The state conducted a caste survey and passed two Bills accordingly. The Centre is delaying approval,” he said.
Asked about the 50% ceiling on reservations set by the courts, he said: “If there is a new law, how can the courts intervene? Since 10% EWS reservations were implemented, the 50% cap no longer applies.”
He said the state was trying to build pressure on the Union government for the bills’ approval. “We are meeting the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday. We will coordinate with INDIA bloc parties to seek support. We will also make a presentation to Congress MPs on the caste census.”
Caste survey findings
Revanth asserted that the caste census carried out by Telangana could serve as a national model. “The Telangana model is one of the best. I advise Prime Minister Narendra Modi to adopt it for the national Census,” he said.
He revealed that 3.9% of those surveyed reported having no caste identity. “This is a new trend in the state,” the chief minister noted.
According to the state government’s data, tabled in the Assembly, the caste-wise population in Telangana stands at 56.4 per cent BCs, 17.45 per cent Scheduled Castes, 10.8 per cent Scheduled Tribes, and 10.9 per cent from Other Castes (OCs). “As per the Data Privacy Act, we cannot disclose individual-level data,” he added.
Revanth said the report of the Independent Experts Working Group (IEWG), which analysed the caste survey, would be discussed in the Cabinet and Assembly before the full findings are shared with the public. He ended the media briefing by targeting former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family, saying: “The former CM is inactive, and his children are behaving irresponsibly.”