HYDERABAD: Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Thursday asserted that the BJP and BRS have no moral authority to speak about social justice, questioning whether they even understand what social equity means.
Addressing a press conference along with Forest and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha at Gandhi Bhavan, he asserted that the Congress government had made every effort to provide 42 per cent reservations for Backward Classes, but the BJP failed to cooperate in making it a reality.
Prabhakar accused both the BRS and BJP of shedding “crocodile tears” over BC reservations, calling them betrayers of weaker sections. He reiterated that the Congress remains firmly committed to implementing 42 per cent reservations for BCs. On the ongoing debate over reservation percentages in panchayat elections, he said senior officials of the Panchayat Raj department would soon issue an official clarification.
The minister said that while the Congress believes in expanding reservations, the BJP continues to operate with a feudal mindset. He criticised BRS leaders for not even participating in the caste census and questioned their moral right to raise objections now.
He added that the Congress had promised 42 per cent BC reservations with the belief that the party would be in power both at the Centre and in Telangana. “Had there been a Congress government at the Centre, BCs would have got 42 per cent reservations within an hour,” he claimed.
He said local body elections were postponed for two years precisely to ensure the implementation of enhanced BC quotas, but the delay resulted in funds from the Centre being stalled. He also alleged that the BRS had never given the party president’s post to a BC leader.
The minister noted that panchayat elections were not held on party lines and would be fought purely on local strength. He appealed to BC association leaders to recognise this reality and not walk into what he described as the political trap of opposition parties.
Prabhakar demanded that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay ensure the Bills enhancing BC reservation to 42 per cent are passed in Parliament. He also questioned whether Union Minister Kishan Reddy and BRS leader KT Rama Rao were speaking on Sanjay’s behalf.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, he said if the party truly cared about Hindutva, it should at least act in favour of the Hindu BCs who stand to benefit from the 42 per cent quota.