Hyderabad: Telangana Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and other Congress leaders on Tuesday left for Delhi to participate in the dharna, to be led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on August 6, demanding Presidential assent for the Backward Classes reservation bills passed by the state legislature.
Prabhakar, Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya Seethakka and other leaders left for Delhi in a flight from the RGI airport Tuesday morning, Congress sources said.
CM Revanth Reddy would reach Delhi in the afternoon, the sources said.
Prabhakar said leaders of all parties who support social justice should help in putting “pressure” on the Centre for the acceptance of the BC quota bills.
He alleged that that BJP is trying to stall the BC bills by citing inclusion of Muslims among backward classes.
In response, the BJP in Telangana has alleged that Congress, despite promising 42 per cent quotas to BCs, is now allocating 10 per cent of it to Muslims in the guise of Backward Classes.
A special train carrying several Congress workers and leaders from Telangana, who will attend the dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 6, departed for the National Capital on Monday.
As part of the agitation, the Congress has planned a series of protests from August 5 to 7.
Congres sources on Tuesday said party Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy moved an adjournment motion for taking up debate on the Telangana government’s BC reservation bills.
On August 6, the chief minister, along with his Cabinet colleagues and other Congress leaders, will stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar.
Revanth Reddy and other senior leaders will seek an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu on August 7 to submit a memorandum regarding the pending bills.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will also seek an audience with the President, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said earlier.
The Telangana Legislative Assembly had passed two bills in March to enhance BC reservation to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies.
The bills were forwarded to the Governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent.
