HYDERABAD: Along with the 14-day Telangana Poru Yatra, which will be led by State BJP chief and legislator G Kishan Reddy from January 19 for separate Telangana statehood, another campaign against Centre’s recent decision to give Muslims 4.5 percent reservation within the 27 percent quota for OBCs will be launched, BJP MLA from Nizambad Yendala Laxminarayana has announced.
Speaking at an all-party OBC leaders’ meeting conducted by BC Kulaala Ikya Vedika here on Tuesday, Laxminarayana demanded that the Centre withdraw its decision immediately. Reservation for the minority community would lead to communal riots and even division of the country, he warned.
“The Congress-led UPA government is in a hurry to give 4.5 percent quota to minorities out of the 27 percent reservation given to poor OBCs, because there are Assembly elections in five states in north India. It is a blatant violation of the Constitution and is aimed at destroying the majority community’s democratic rights,” the MLA alleged.
“By amending the Constitution, the central government can provide a separate 10 percent of reservation to minorities in proportion to to their population but why is the government apportioning a sub-quota for them from the 27 percent reservation granted to OBCs who consist of about 100 castes and constitute 52 percent of the country’s population?’’ he asked.
BC Kulaala Ikya Vedika president G Nagaraju said the British formula of ‘divide and rule’ was being followed by the present upper-caste ruling party. The UPA government was trying to widen the chasm between minority communities and OBCs, he alleged.
The 181st birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, the country’s first woman teacher, was celebrated at the meeting. Samajwadi Party’s state president B Jagadeesh Yadav and BC United Front state president P Ramakrishnaiah also spoke.