BCs demand social & political equality

Hyderabad: Demanding justice in social and political arena, The Andhra Pradesh Backward classes Welfare Association on Sunday demanded all the politics parties to announce their agenda for the BCs so that they can chose the best of the lot in 2014 elections.

Addressing the BC Garjana at Nizam College grounds here on Sunday, president of the association R Krishnaih said that the political parties have been viewing the BCs as vote banks but did nothing for their welfare. He also regretted that no party was giving prominence to them in elections and was not earmarking tickets in proportion to their population. Krishnaiah pointed out that the government continues with 7 percent reservation, when the population was about 52 percent.

Cutting across party lines leaders who attended the meeting tried to express their concern for the BCs and said that it was only their respective parties which were striving for the welfare of this section of the society.

The TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said that it was only TDP which had a clear agenda in regard to the BCs. He said only TDP had prepared a BC sub plan which would be implemented if voted to power. Under the sub plan, he said, they propose to earmark Rs 10,000 crore for the BCs and would provide social justice. He recalled how the former chief minister N T Rama Rao gave importance to BCs in Lok Sabha as well as Assembly elections and introduced reservations for them in the local bodies. He also highlighted the problems faced by handloom weavers and toddy tappers in the state.

He demanded that at least 33 percent should be provided to the BCs, as they have a much higher proportion of population of what is currently provided. He said, TDP had promised at least 100 seats in the Parliament in its BC declaration. He also promised to fight against proportional reservation of 50 percent in Panchayats.

The former PCC president D Srinivas said that BCs were under represented in the Governing bodies. He said that Congress party was a common mans party and was working towards upliftment of the BCs. BJP senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya demanded that a separate Law be passed to ensure reservation for the BCs. He forecasted that in 2014, a candidate from Backward Caste would become a Prime Minister.

Interestingly, the T Congress leaders like V Hanumatha Rao, Ponnala Laxmaiah and Ponnam Prabhakar left the venue as Chandrababu Naidu came on the dais.

Hanumantha Rao expressed his ire over Krishnaiah for inviting a non-BC for the meeting. Some student organizations also protested against the arrival of Babu at the venue by holding placards reading ‘Chandrababu go back’.