Cong trying to provide reservation to Muslims in guise of 42 pc quota to BCs: Sanjay Kumar

Hyderabad, Aug 6 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday accused the Congress government in Telangana of trying to provide reservations to Muslims in the guise of 42 per cent quota to backward classes.

Congress had promised 42 per cent quota to BCs, but was now allocating 10 per cent of it to Muslims in the name of Muslim BCs, he said in a statement.

Taking potshots at the dharna held by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders in Delhi seeking Presidential assent to the BC quota bills passed by the Assembly, Kumar alleged that the protest was actually aimed at securing the votes of the minorities.

With 10 per cent cent reservation given to Muslims, backward classes would be left with only 32 per cent quota, he said.

"In fact, the Modi government is already implementing 27 per cent reservation to BCs. The backward classes would only get five per cent (extra) reservation with the BC bills passed by the Congress government. They are trying to implement 10 per cent quotas for Muslims in the guise of BC bills," he said.

The 'BC Declaration' announced by Congress ahead of 2023 Assembly elections is turning out to be a 'Muslim Declaration', he alleged.

Observing that the BJP would support if the full 42 per cent reservation benefit is passed on to the intended classes, he said, otherwise, the party would fight against the BC bills.

"The Muslim reservation should be removed immediately. Otherwise, we will teach a lesson to Congress. The day is not far when the entire Hindu society, along with the BCs, would revolt against Congress," he said.

Accusing the Congress of shedding crocodile tears for BCs, he asked whether the grand old party had ever made a backward class leader as Prime Minister.

He further asked whether the Congress made a BC leader as Chief Minister despite being in power for about 50 years in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

It is to the credit of the BJP that it gave the first-ever BC Prime Minister (PM Modi) to the country, besides appointing 27 ministers belonging to backward communities in the Union Cabinet, he said.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Wednesday held a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to demand Presidential assent for the Backward Classes reservation bills passed by the state legislature.

The Telangana Assembly passed two bills in March to enhance BC reservation to 42 per cent (from 23 per cent) in education, employment and local bodies.

The bills were forwarded to the governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent. PTI SJR GDK SJR KH