Twelve BC associations are pressuring the central government to amend the Ninth Schedule for 42% reservations in Telangana. They protested at Jantar Mantar on 2 April, urging inclusion of two Telangana bills.
Published Apr 02, 2025 | 8:35 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 02, 2025 | 8:35 PM
Revanth Reddy warns of BC backlash if Modi fails to amend Ninth Schedule (@revanth_anumula on X)
Synopsis: Twelve BC associations in Telangana are pressuring the central government to amend the Ninth Schedule for 42 percent BC reservations in education, employment, and local body elections. At a protest in Delhi on 2 April, Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy emphasised the state’s commitment to BC welfare. He criticised PM Modi for not conducting a national caste census or amending the Constitution to support Telangana’s reservation demands
As many as 12 BC associations have begun increasing pressure on the central government to amend the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to facilitate enhancement of reservations up to 42 percent for BCs in education, employment, and local body elections in Telangana state.
The organisations held a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, 2 April, where they urged the central government to include two bills, passed by the Telangana Assembly on 17 March, in the Ninth Schedule.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who led a group of Congress leaders from the state and joined the protest, spoke on the Congress party’s commitment to BCs’ cause. He said that the Telangana government had proved its commitment by conducting a caste census, which showed that BCs constitute 56.36 percent of the total population.
The Chief Minister went for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jugular for not conducting the caste census at the national level nor amending the Constitution to facilitate enhancement of reservations in Telangana.
He said: “You cannot stay in power forever in Delhi. You will have to face the people. If you ignore the demands of BCs and try to suppress them, remember what happened to the Nizams, Razakars, former Andhra Pradesh leaders, and those who ruled Telangana from Gadis later on. Listen to the sound of the heartbeat of the BCs in Telangana.”
Revanth Reddy questioned why the Prime Minister was not supporting the Telangana BC bills in Parliament. He said, “What is your problem? We are not asking for your chair. We are not saying that we want to hoist the national flag on the Red Fort. We only want an increase in BC reservations in Telangana.”
He said that BC leaders had come to Delhi to demand their rights. “We came to Delhi just like Lord Krishna went to Hastina to negotiate with the Kauravas for detente, even though he knew the Kurukshetra war was inevitable,” he said. He warned that if the central government did not approve the bills, they would face strong protests from BCs.
Revanth Reddy said he did not understand why Narendra Modi was against increasing BC reservations. “We are asking for reservations in our state. Why is he afraid? When BC leaders approached the BJP, they received no positive response,” he said, adding: “If Modi agrees to increase BC reservations, I will organize a massive public meeting with 10 lakh people and honour him.”
The chief minister reminded those who attended the protest that the BJP had opposed the Mandal Commission’s recommendations in the past. He said, “Indira Gandhi was not a Dalit, but she helped Dalits by giving them houses and distributing land to them.”
He hauled the BJP over the coals for delaying the caste census at the national level. “Telangana is the first state in the country to conduct a caste census. Even Gujarat, Modi’s home state, has not done it,” he said. He explained that the Telangana Assembly sent the bills to the central government because reservations for jobs and seats in educational institutions fall under the central government’s authority. He clarified that the demand was not just for reservations in local bodies alone but also for broader implementation for the welfare of the BCs.
Revanth Reddy recalled that during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had questioned the lack of data on BC communities. He said that wherever Congress comes to power, it will conduct a caste census. Since Congress made this an official policy, people should support Rahul Gandhi. He said he had fulfilled Rahul Gandhi’s promise in Telangana.
The chief minister recalled declaring 4 February a historic day for Telangana. On that day, the Telangana Assembly passed a resolution for 42 percent reservations for BCs. He said this day is now observed as Social Justice Day in the state.
He also mocked Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar for saying that he would “die for BCs.” Revanth Reddy responded, “We don’t need your life. We only want 42 percent reservation.”
Leaders who attended the meeting included Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Kanimozhi (DMK), and Supriya Sule (NCP). The Telangana Congress team included PCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud, Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Konda Surekha, MLAs Vakiti Srihari Mudiraj, Makkan Singh Raj Thakur, Birlah Ailaiah, Veerlapalli Shankar, T Prakash Goud, MLC M Kodandaram, and former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
