Hyderabad: BJP OBC Morcha state president Anand Goud criticised the Congress party for its unfulfilled promise of 42 per cent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in education, employment, and politics, made under the Kamareddy Declaration before the State Assembly elections. According to Goud, these promises seem to have been made solely for political gain.

During a media briefing on Thursday, he pointed out that Telangana has the largest population of BCs, estimated at around 1.65 crore. After ten years of dissatisfaction with the BRS rule, people voted for the Congress party led by Revanth Reddy, hoping for positive change. However, 15 months into their governance, the Revanth Reddy administration has yet to fulfill its commitments to the BC community. Previously, there was a 12 per cent reservation for BCs, which included 10 per cent for Muslims. Goud argued,

“The Congress government, now claiming it will provide 42 per cent reservation, appears to be doing this to benefit MIM leaders, suggesting a conspiracy within the Revanth government.” He stated, “If the promised 42 per cent reservation is implemented, around 23,000 BCs could be elected as public representatives.” However, Goud accused the state government of stalling, “looking for excuses to delay implementation by shifting the blame to the central government.” Since coming to power, the Congress government has prioritised initiatives like ponds conservation, demolition of houses in Hyderabad, and beautification of the Musi River, rather than addressing the pressing needs of the people. The state has the authority to implement 42 per cent reservations for BCs in local body elections without requiring central approval.

Goud emphasised, “If the reservations were scientifically justified, the courts would uphold them. Still, the government appears to mislead BCs regarding their reservation policies, lacking any genuine commitment.” In the GHMC elections, the Congress party allegedly acted unjustly toward BCs by allocating 40 seats to Muslims within the BC category. Goud questioned why BC reservations have not been implemented in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh if the Congress party truly cared about the BC community. The discussion about inclusion in the 9th Schedule seems to be a strategy to mislead BCs, he argued. The 2007 IR Coelho vs. State of Tamil Nadu case clarified that the Supreme Court retains the authority for judicial review of items included in the 9th Schedule after 1973. Nevertheless, Goud accused the state government of misleading the public by claiming that inclusion in the 9th Schedule would protect BC reservations from judicial scrutiny. He remarked that the responsibility for implementing reservations lies with the state government.

“Yet, the Congress party appears to be sending bills to the Centre while stalling under the guise of the 9th Schedule. These reservations could be implemented without central approval, so why is Congress delaying? Why does it seem to be deceiving BCs again by deferring responsibility to the central government?” he asked. If the Congress party is genuinely sincere about BCs, it should be willing to disclose how many BCs they have appointed as state presidents, corporation chairpersons, cabinet ministers, and chief ministers across the country. Anand Goud also noted that conditions in BC hostels and gurukuls in the state are lamentably poor. He clarified that the BJP is not opposed to the 42 per cent reservation for BCs. The Narendra Modi government has launched several initiatives aimed at the development of BC professions, focusing on professional employment, financial assistance, skills development, and marketing support, he pointed out.