Congress sees conspiracy
by KCR in cut in BC quota
Hyderabad, December
30: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Chief Spokesperson Dr.
Dasoju Sravan has dismissed the version of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao
over reduction in quota for Backward Classes in Panchayat Raj elections.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday,
Sravan said that the Chief Minister not only defended cut in reservation
percentage for BCs but also tried to divert people's attention to other topics
by targetting opposition leaders in the most inappropriate language. "KCR
must realise that he is not the Chief Minister only for TRS. He is the Chief
Minister for 4 crore people of Telangana. Therefore, he must learn to speak in
a decent and balanced manner. His cheap talk by calling Congress leaders
'bevaqoof' or 'idiots' does not suit the stature of a man who is sitting on the
CM's chair. KCR has brought utter shame and disrespect only to his position,
but to the entire State of Telangana," he said.
He said KCR was like his father and he won't mind if he uses
harsh language against him. However, he said he would tolerate if KCR tries to
divert the real issues.
Sravan said KCR's attack on Congress leaders and defence of
cut in quota for BCs in Panchayat Raj polls was nothing but a major conspiracy
to disempower the Backward Classes politically by reducing their representation
in local bodies. He attributing motives he wants to prevent everyone from going
to court to seek justice and by indulging in cheap talk, he wants to stop
Congress leaders from taking up public issues. "Its war to get justice for
BCs and we will not fall into the KCR's trap," he said.
He said KCR apparently expects everyone, including the
opposition parties, to accept all his decisions without raising any questions.
KCR could not suppress BCs with his arrogant talk and misrepresentation of
facts, he said.
Sravan said KCR's accusation that Congress was trying to
stop Panchayat Raj elections was only a figment of his imagination. He said
Congress never approached the court to stop an election. However, it went to
the court seeking adequate representation for the BCs in PR polls. Showing the
open letters that he wrote to the Chief Minister on the issue, he said it was
on 9th June, 2018, he had questioned only 33% reservation for BCs while they
constitute 52% of total population as per the Intensive Household Survey held
in August 2014. After getting no response to the first letter, he said he wrote
another letter on 14th June to Commissioner and Principal Secretary of
Panchayat Raj and also the Election Commission. They too did not respond on the
issue. Finally, on 17-06-2018, Ravindranath of Yadadri Bhongiri District filed
Writ Petition No. 20477 in the High Court.
Acting on the petition, the Congress leader said that High
Court directed the State Government to conduct caste-wise enumeration of BCs in
Telangana before holding the PR polls. He said Karnataka has already done
categorisation of BCs and therefore, it can also be done in Telangana. However,
he said TRS Government simply ignored the HC directives and did not act on its
directions for the last six months.
Sravan pointed out that it were the TRS leaders who tried to
stop the Panchayat Raj elections and not the Congress party. He said
Nagarkurnool MPTC Gopal Reddy, who is a close associate of TRS MLA from
Nagarkurnool Marri Janardhan Reddy, who filed a petition No. 21651/2018 in the
court demanding that reservation in PR elections should not cross 50% ceiling.
He said he would send a copy of the petition to the Chief Minister if he was
not having that information. He said that the TRS Government did not even file
the counter in this case as it wanted BC quota to be slashed. He said it was a
matter of shame that the Chief Minister himself is indulging in falsehood and
only to prevent political empowerment of BCs, KCR wants to hold elections
without having categorisation and without giving them reservation in proportionate
to their population.
