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New Delhi: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy on Wednesday, August 6, claimed that there was pressure from the Union government on President Droupadi Murmu not to give an appointment to the Congress leaders who are demanding Presidential assent for two Bills passed by the state legislature to provide 42 percent Backward Class (BC) quota.

CM Revanth, who was leading a dharna by the party at Jantar Mantar to demand Presidential assent for the Bills, told media persons that he thinks the President was being put under pressure.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the President two days ago. “I think they are pressurising the President not to give an appointment to Telangana people,” he said.

The chief minister said the entire state cabinet, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and OBC leaders from all nooks and corners of Telangana were in Delhi to demand the approval for BC reservation Bills.

Terming PM Modi “anti-OBC”, CM Revanth remarked that it’s a fight between pro-OBC and anti-OBC forces.

“If the Prime Minister accepts the demand for 42 percent BC reservation, it’s fine, else, we will defeat him in the next elections and make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister to get the reservation,” he said.

He said that as promised by Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress, after coming to power in Telangana, conducted a caste survey and based on this, drafted and passed two Bills in the Assembly to enhance BC reservation to 42 percent in education, employment, and local bodies.

“The Governor sent the two Bills to the President for her assent, but even after four months, there is no response from the President. Hence, we decided to fight from the ‘sadak’ (streets) to ‘sansad’ (Parliament),” he said.

CM Revanth said the Congress MPs were also raising the issue in the Parliament, and it is being supported by the INDIA bloc members, but there is no response from the government.

“The chief minister, the entire Telangana cabinet and MPs sought an appointment with the President, but there is no reply. This is unfortunate,” he said.

“We are hoping we will get the appointment. If Modi does not respond in Parliament, we will not come to Delhi. Those who come to Telangana will have to give a reply. We will wipe out the BJP from Telangana and send them to Delhi,” he said.

The Telangana Assembly passed two bills in March to enhance BC reservation to 42 per cent (from 23 per cent) in education, employment and local bodies. The bills were forwarded to the governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent.

Congress’s ‘Muslim declaration’: Bandi

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday accused the Congress government in Telangana of trying to provide reservations to Muslims in the guise of 42 per cent quota to backward classes.

Taking potshots at the dharna held by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders in Delhi seeking Presidential assent to the BC quota bills passed by the Assembly, Kumar alleged that the protest was actually aimed at securing the votes of the minorities.

With 10 perent reservation given to Muslims, backward classes would be left with only 32 percent quota, he said.

“In fact, the Modi government is already implementing 27 percent reservation to BCs. The backward classes would only get five percent (extra) reservation with the BC bills passed by the Congress government. They are trying to implement 10 percent quotas for Muslims in the guise of BC bills,” he said.

The ‘BC Declaration’ announced by Congress ahead of 2023 Assembly elections is turning out to be a ‘Muslim Declaration’, he alleged.

Observing that the BJP would support if the full 42 per cent reservation benefit is passed on to the intended classes, he said, otherwise, the party would fight against the BC bills.

“The Muslim reservation should be removed immediately. Otherwise, we will teach a lesson to Congress. The day is not far when the entire Hindu society, along with the BCs, would revolt against Congress,” he said.

Cheap tactics by BJP: CM

He dismissed the claim by BJP leaders that Muslims were covered under the BC reservation Bills. Stating that the Bills were meant only for reservation to BCs, he advised Union ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to read the Bills.

“These are cheap tactics to deny justice to BCs by using the name of Muslims. The BCs are educated, and they will teach a lesson to the BJP,” he said.

CM Revanth also dared the BJP to scrap Muslim reservation in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

(With inputs from agencies)