Hyderabad: Minister Ponnam Prabhakar criticized BJP MP and OBC Morcha president K Laxman, urging the BJP to clarify its position on the caste census. He questioned whether the BJP supports or opposes the caste survey.
Speaking at a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Prabhakar expressed disappointment with Laxman’s opposition to the State government’s efforts to support Backward Classes (BCs). He argued that as an OBC leader, Laxman should not be against initiatives aimed at the welfare of his own community. Prabhakar warned that if leaders like Laxman oppose such efforts, they could be seen as betraying the BCs.
Prabhakar further claimed that Laxman’s statements are harmful to the interests of BCs, and accused him of losing credibility among the Backward Classes. According to Prabhakar, Laxman is simply echoing the BJP’s divisive agenda, which aims to create rifts between different communities and opposes the welfare of marginalized groups, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), BCs, and minorities.
He also recalled how the BJP and its ideologues organized the Kamandal campaign to undermine the Mandal Commission, which was established to address inequalities faced by BCs. Prabhakar accused the BJP of using communal issues to distract the public from the Mandal Commission’s efforts. He concluded by alleging that the BJP consistently relies on communal strategies during elections.
