Hyderabad: Union minister of state for Home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar made a vicious attack on the Congress government of Telangana regarding its draft BC reservation bill, calling for Muslims to be deleted from the list of Backward Classes (BC).
Addressing a public function in Sircilla, the BJP chief claimed that the bill is one part of a grand conspiracy to disallow justice to genuine BC communities.
“Granting 10 percent of the suggested 42 percent quota to Muslims is a criminal act,” he added. “Unless Muslims are taken out of the BC list, the BJP will initiate a statewide agitation. We will oppose this bill within and outside the Assembly.”
Sanjay Bandi accused the Congress of lowering the BC population from 51 percent to 46 percent on the pretext of caste census, giving only 32 percent reservation to BCs. “The remaining 10 percent is being given to Muslims, who are just 12 percent of the population. Why is the government keeping mum about providing proportional reservation to BCs?” he questioned.
He cautioned that religion-based reservations are “unconstitutional” and criticised the Congress for contemplating an ordinance to advance the move. “This is an evil plan. Reservations have to be on the basis of social and educational backwardness, not religion,” he stated.
Bandi also hailed the Centre’s meeting with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers on the Banakacherla project, calling upon CM Revanth Reddy to firmly place Telangana’s case.
His comments are in line with BJP’s national opposition to Muslim reservations, a position that has been continually attacked by minority rights organisations.
