Political storm erupts after Telangana HC stays BC quota order; BJP, BRS slam Congress
Slamming the Opposition, Goud accused both BRS and BJP of working against BC welfare.
By - Sistla Dakshina Murthy
Political storm erupts after Telangana HC stays BC quota order; BJP, BRS slam Congress
Hyderabad: The political storm over 42 per cent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in Telangana intensified on Wednesday after the High Court stayed the State government’s order.
While the Opposition parties accused the ruling Congress of political deceit, the Congress leadership hit back strongly, asserting its ‘commitment and constitutional faith.’
‘We trust the courts, we have sincerity, says Congress
At a media conference held at Gandhi Bhavan, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Vakiti Srihari, and other senior leaders joined PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, who said the Congress respects the judicial process and will act lawfully.
“Congress believes in the Constitution and the judiciary. We have not received the High Court’s detailed order yet. Once we get the copies, we will announce our next course of action,” Mahesh Kumar Goud said.
‘BJP and BRS are trying to snatch away BC rights’
Slamming the Opposition, Goud accused both BRS and BJP of working against BC welfare.
“Those who never wanted BCs to get their due are now celebrating the stay. The BJP and BRS have snatched away what rightfully belongs to the BCs,” he alleged.
He said the Congress government acted with sincerity by conducting a scientific caste census for the first time in the country’s history since the British era.
“Based on that data, we decided to implement 42 per cent reservations. This was not political drama — it was a policy commitment,” he said.
‘Congress walked the talk on BC empowerment’
Recalling the Kamareddy BC Declaration, Mahesh Kumar Goud said the Congress had made a clear promise to enhance political representation for BCs.
“We issued GO 9 after extensive consultation and with full intent to implement it before the local body elections,” he said.
He added that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Cabinet and several BC organisations had even staged protests in Delhi to demand Presidential assent for the BC Bill. “When we were fighting in Delhi, where were the BJP and BRS leaders? Why didn’t they join us or even get involved in the High Court case?” he questioned.
The PCC chief reaffirmed that the Congress government would go to any length to ensure BCs get their constitutional share. “We will fight this legally and politically. The 42 per cent BC quota will be implemented — that’s our solemn commitment,” he asserted.
KTR says, stay order exposes Congress’s deception
Earlier in the day, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress, calling the stay ‘a self-inflicted wound caused by poor legal planning.’
“For months, the Congress played politics in the name of BCs. The GO they issued was weak and legally unsustainable. Now, the High Court’s order has exposed their deceit,” he said.
KTR alleged that the Revanth Reddy-led government issued the GO only to delay the local body polls. “After 22 months of failed governance, the Chief Minister is afraid to face the people. They knew this GO wouldn’t survive judicial scrutiny but issued it anyway for publicity,” he remarked.
BJP joins attack, calls the order ‘Congress inefficiency’
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and State BJP President G Ramchander Rao also blamed the Congress for the setback, saying the government acted without understanding constitutional limits.
“The Congress government mishandled the process and violated the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations. Their incompetence led to this stay,” Kishan Reddy said.
Ramchander Rao added, “The Congress used BCs for political gain. They had three months for Presidential approval, but acted in haste just to claim credit before the elections.”
Minister Srihari defends state’s intent
Meanwhile, Minister Vakiti Srihari maintained that the Congress government had gathered empirical data and acted in good faith.
“Despite our commitment and scientific approach, vested interests tried to block BC empowerment. But we will not back down — BCs deserve justice,” he said.
He appealed to BCs to stay united and assured that the government would take ‘all legal and constitutional steps’ to implement the quota.
Battle far from over
With both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BRS and BJP sharpening their rhetoric, the 42 per cent BC quota issue has turned into a full-scale political confrontation.
While the Congress insists it acted with sincerity and will pursue the matter legally, its rivals accuse it of ‘political theatrics.’
As Telangana awaits the next legal and political move, the BC reservation issue has once again become a defining flashpoint in the state’s political discourse.
