Hyderabad: Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, the BJP Legislature Party leader in the Telangana State Assembly, clarified that the BJP is not against the idea of a caste census. However, he expressed concerns that the current efforts to conduct a caste census are primarily for political gain.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Reddy questioned whether the government truly understands the purpose of the caste enumeration. He pointed out that the government had previously made 21 promises in the BC (Backward Classes) Declaration in Kamareddy, but those promises remain unfulfilled. He suggested that the government might be using the caste census as a distraction from its failure to deliver on these commitments.
Reddy also questioned why the family survey conducted by Chief Minister KCR (K. Chandrashekar Rao) has not been made public. He demanded answers about the lack of implementation of a 42% reservation for BCs, warning that the BC community would not forgive the government if their promises are not kept.
Additionally, Reddy challenged the Chief Minister to disclose how many BC ministers currently hold positions in the government. He criticized the allocation of 4% reservation to minorities, claiming it was unjust to the BC community. He argued that if the government genuinely cared about BCs, the minority reservation should be removed, and a formal report on the caste census should be released.
Reddy further asked if the caste census was being conducted to gain an advantage in upcoming local elections. He called on the government to release the ₹20,000 crore set aside for the BC sub-plan. He also accused KCR of misleading the public with a previous family survey and suggested that the current government, led by Revanth Reddy, might be using the caste census for similar purposes.
On the topic of Rahul Gandhi’s visit, Reddy raised questions about Rahul Gandhi’s identity and heritage. He asked what caste and religion Rahul Gandhi identifies with, mentioning that Rahul’s grandfather was Feroze Jahangir. Reddy questioned whether Rahul Gandhi should be called Rahul Jahangir or Rahul Gandhi, implying confusion over his legacy.
He also found it ironic that Rahul Gandhi speaks about caste issues without revealing his own caste, religion, or family background. Reddy speculated whether Rahul Gandhi had fallen into the diversionary tactics of Revanth Reddy and asked if the Chief Minister was ready for an open debate on the caste census.
