Fact Check: BJP Minister Bandi Sanjay opposes 42% BC quota in Telangana? No, video is edited

Hyderabad: The 42 per cent BC quota issue has turned into a full-scale political confrontation in Telangana with the State government demanding its passage in the Parliament.

In this context, a video of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar speaking to the media about the issue is going viral. Those sharing the video claim it shows him opposing the Kamareddy BC Declaration, vowing 42 per cent reservation for BC.

The video shows the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader saying, “What is the Kamareddy Declaration? You are giving 42 per cent reservation to the BCs. We will stop it at any cost. If we don’t stop this here, this poisonous tree will spread across the country.”

In November 2023, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) released the BC Declaration in Kamareddy, promising to raise BC reservations in local bodies from the existing 23 per cent to 42 per cent.

However, in October, the Telangana HC stayed the GO 9, providing 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in the upcoming local body elections.

The text on this video reads, “We will stop BCs from getting 42 per cent reservations, BJP”. Uploading the 30-second video on YouTube, a user wrote in the title, ‘Union Minister Bandi Sanjay says he will block the BC Bill for 42 per cent reservation in Telangana state’. (Archive)

Post making similar claims can be seen here. (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the viral claim is false. The video is edited.

We did not find any news reports or credible social media posts stating that Union Minister Bandi Sanjay opposes the 42 per cent reservations for BCs.

Using reverse image search, we found the same footage uploaded to YouTube on July 27 with the Telugu title, ‘Big conspiracy against BCs..? | Bandi Sanjay Sensational Comments on CM Revanth Reddy Over BC Reservation’.

We can see the Union Minister making the viral claim, starting at the 2:56 minute mark. “What is the Kamareddy Declaration? You said you will give 42 per cent reservations to BCs. Give the entire 42 per cent to BCs only, and we will support you. But if you give BCs only 5 per cent of it and say that we are going to implement the Muslim declaration, we will stop it no matter what.”

Speaking further about including Muslims in the BC 42 per cent reservation, Bandi Sanjay said, “If we don’t stop it here, the same declaration will spread across the country. They say that they will implement the same declaration throughout the country.”

Bandi Sanjay alleged that Congress is giving a false impression to BCs, that they are only offering an additional 5 per cent reservations. BCs already have 27 per cent reservations, and if the 10 per cent reservations for Muslims are removed, then BCs would only receive 5 per cent extra as part of the 42 per cent reservations, he added.

It is clear that Bandi Sanjay made the viral remarks referring to the inclusion of the Muslim community in the 42 per cent reservation for BCs. The viral video was made using the clips from Bandi Sanjay’s speech addressing the media on July 27.

Zee Telugu News has also uploaded the full speech of Bandi Sanjay on YouTube.

According to a report published by The Times of India, Bandi Sanjay made these remarks while speaking to the media after inaugurating a hospital in Karimnagar on July 27.

The report reads, “He emphasised that what was being presented was not the BC reservation, but rather the reservation allocated to Muslims.”

Therefore, it is clear that the viral video is edited. NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false.