Hyderabad: N Ramachander Rao, the BJP State president, spoke to leaders and representatives from the Backward Class (BC) communities. He criticized the Congress government and reaffirmed the BJP’s dedication to helping BCs.
On Monday, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting inclusive governance. He pointed out that 27% of the central cabinet ministers are from BCs and credited Modi for establishing the BC Commission. Modi, who is also from the BC community, has shown strong commitment to giving BCs their deserved role in government.
Rao condemned Rahul Gandhi from Congress for allegedly insulting BCs by calling them “converted BCs.” He explained that BC categories differ by state, noting that Lambadas are considered Scheduled Tribes in Telangana but BCs in Maharashtra.
Rao criticized former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) for only giving the BC Commission official status without necessary funding, making it ineffective. He also raised concerns about the caste census by the Congress government, calling it unconstitutional and lacking transparency. He claimed it was done without proper oversight and incomplete data collection, especially at the mandal level.
Rao stated the BJP’s position that they are not against caste census but insist it must be done scientifically and constitutionally. He announced that the central government plans to include caste data in the upcoming national census, the first since 1931, to be conducted by the Registrar General of India.
He highlighted schemes like Vishwakarma Yojana, Mudra loans, and Startup India, saying most beneficiaries are BCs, showing the central government’s focus on BC development. Rao warned that Congress is misleading BC voters and confirmed Home Minister Amit Shah’s promise that reservations for SCs, STs, and BCs will remain.
The BJP, Rao noted, opposes religion-based reservations like the current 4% Muslim quota, claiming they do not align with Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution. He accused previous governments of giving BC-reserved seats to Muslim candidates in the GHMC elections, affecting communities like Gouds, Yadavas, and Gangaputras.
Rao defended the Modi government’s additional 10% EWS reservation, ensuring it doesn’t affect existing SC, ST, or BC quotas. He asserted that only BJP truly supports BCs, accusing Congress of trying to divide OBCs from BJP with misleading tactics.
He cited Dattatreya’s appointment as Governor and Dr. K. Laxman’s role as Rajya Sabha member and National OBC Morcha President as examples of true representation. Rao accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Congress of insincerity, calling their BC welfare efforts political “drama.”
Rao urged BC community representatives to engage actively in upcoming elections and the BC meeting in Hyderabad. “BJP is the only genuine ally of the BCs,” he concluded, seeking collective support for victory in Telangana.
