While Congress seems intent on taking the issue to the national foreground, Kavitha is demanding accountability at home.
Published Aug 04, 2025 | 2:33 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 04, 2025 | 7:27 PM
BRS MLC Kavitha undertakes 72-hour hunger strike for BC Reservations. (Supplied)
Synopsis: BRS MLC K Kavitha called off her 72-hour hunger strike on 4 August after the Telangana High Court denied permission, suggesting a reschedule from 8 August. The strike aimed to demand 42% BC reservations and 10% for Muslims. Despite disbanding, Kavitha vowed to continue the fight, warning the government against holding local body elections without fulfilling reservation promises.
BRS MLC and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha called off the 72-hour hunger strike at Dharna Chowk, after launching it on the morning of Monday, 4 August, after the Telangana High Court denied them permission to undertake the protest. The court reportedly asked her to continue the strike from 8 August.
With Kavitha at the helm, the strike aimed to pressure the Congress in Telangana and the NDA at the centre to materialise the 42 percent reservations for backward castes.
“The High Court has denied us permission to undertake this protest. Instead, they offered us the opportunity to protest from 10 to 4 for three days,” she reported, alleging motivations behind the disbandment, adding , “The police told the court that they need five days to allow this protest.”
“If a lion takes a step back, it will go ahead 10 steps. We are respecting the courts and disbanding the protest today,” she said, reaffirming, “We will take this forward another day, another way.”
“If you decide to go ahead with the local body elections without 42 percent reservations, we will make sure it doesn’t happen,” she further cautioned.
On Monday morning, Hyderabad’s Dharna Chowk came alive, as troves of people from Telangana Jagruthi and United Phule Front gathered for the 72-hour hunger strike.
This hunger strike came on the same day as Congress leaders and cadre left for Delhi via a special train from Charlapalli to protest on the same issue at the national capital. While Congress seems intent on taking the issue to the national foreground, Kavitha is demanding accountability at home.
Raising questions regarding the inclusion of Muslims in the reservations and calling for solidarity from the BC communities, she began the strike with a roaring applause filled with music and chants of “Jai BC”
Kavitha terming it a fight for self-respect and social justice, asserted that the struggle was not political but deeply rooted in constitutional rights and community dignity. “We achieved the dream of Telangana to prosper together. When half the population is BCs, they need representation. That is why we have gathered here,” Kavitha said, addressing the gathering.
MLC Kavitha at the launch of the hunger strike.
“For 42 percent reservations, we are sitting down for a 72-hour hunger strike in Gandhi’s path. This is not a political fight. It is a fight for self-respect,” she reiterated.
Calling for the immediate implementation of the Kamareddy Declaration, a commitment by the Congress to ensure BC reservation in local body elections, she warned of escalating the protest if the promises aren’t honoured.
She also demanded a separate 10 percent reservation for Muslims, stating, “BC and Muslim reservation must be different. The government should announce that 10 per cent reservation for Muslims.”
This comes in response to the state BJP unit’s apprehensions that the Congress is allegedly trying to shoe-in Muslim reservations via the BC reservations.
Raising concerns over procedural roadblocks, Kavitha said, “If we do not receive the Governor’s assent, we will take this protest to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.”
She also pointed to issues with protest permissions, stating, “We’ve only been allowed to stay here till 4 pm. However, we will continue for the complete 72 hours. If you do not permit us, we will also approach the court.”
She invoked the memory of her earlier protest in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh for an Ambedkar statue in the Parliament. “Are you worse than the Andhra Pradesh Government?” she asked the police.
Throughout her address, Kavitha recalled the history of Telangana’s formation and asserted that the BCs played a vital role in the movement and deserve rightful representation in governance and policy-making. Reiterating that the strike will go on for the complete 72 hours, no matter what, she held that the hunger strike is being closely watched.
With Kavitha’s strike in Telangana and the Congress’s upcoming protest in Delhi, it remains to be seen which will come first, the promise of 42 per cent BC reservations or the court-mandated local body elections.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
