HYDERABAD: For the first time since the formation of the state, political parties cutting across ideologies, including the Congress, its alliance partners CPI and CPM, the opposition BRS and BJP, and several other organisations such as employees’ unions, BC organisations, and student outfits like AIOBCA, participated in the ‘Telangana Bandh’ on Saturday, demanding 42% reservations for BCs.
While the early hours saw the shutdown of various commercial establishments, normalcy began to return by the afternoon. The TGRTC, which had suspended services in the morning, resumed operations later in the day, providing much-needed relief to passengers travelling home for Diwali. However, private operators reportedly fleeced passengers heading home for the festival. Overall, the bandh passed off peacefully across the State, barring a few incidents.
Several ministers, including Ponnam Prabhakar, Tummala Nageshwar Rao, Dr Dansari Anasuya, Jupally Krishna Rao, Dr G Vivek, and Vakati Srihari, participated in the protest.
The BC organisations called for the bandh after the High Court recently issued an interim order staying Government Orders 9, 41, and 42, which had provided for 42% BC reservations in local bodies. When the state government challenged the stay in the Supreme Court, the Apex Court declined to intervene.
In March, the Telangana legislature passed two bills related to reservations for Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, but they are pending approval from the President of India. Despite this, the state government issued GO 9, providing 42% reservations for BCs in local bodies. The State Election Commission then announced elections for Mandal and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies, but the process has been halted due to a High Court stay order.
This move infuriated BC leadership across all political parties and civil society organisations, prompting them to take to the streets on Saturday.
Speaking to the media, Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the bandh was a success, with widespread support for the cause of BC reservations. He demanded that the Centre act immediately and pass the pending bills.
TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud staged sit-in protests along with party legislators and corporation chairpersons at multiple locations in the city. BJP MP Eatala Rajender participated in the bandh at the Jubilee Bus Station. He stated that the BC movement would not stop with mere bandh calls and asserted that BC reservations would be achieved just like the Telangana statehood movement. He also accused the ruling Congress of deceiving the BC community.
MLC K Kavitha, daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, attended the protest demonstration along with her son Aditya. BRS leaders, including former ministers Gangula Kamalakar, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, and MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, also staged a Rasta Roko at RTC X Roads.
Students from Hyderabad Central University, JNTU, and Osmania University also participated in the protest demonstrations.
