Telangana caste survey: Opposition demands 42 percent reservation for BCs

Hyderabad: Heated arguments were exchanged between the BRS, BJP and the ruling Congress during a debate held after chief minister A Revanth Reddy presented the caste census survey report during the special session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

It all began when BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), Sanathnagar MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav and BJP Adilabad MLA Payal Shankar raised their concerns about the caste census survey report.

Addressing the House, KTR has accused the Congress government for deceiving Backward Classes (BC) by failing to introduce a bill for 42 percent reservations, as promised in the Kamareddy BC Declaration meeting. He alleged that the government merely made an announcement and avoided taking real legislative action.

BC Communities anticipate introduction of 42 percent reservations bill

"A mere statement cannot be called historic,” he said. Expressing his disappointment, KTR remarked, "We expected the government to bring a legally binding bill ensuring 42 percent reservations for BCs. Instead, they issued a mere statement and are calling it historic. BCs will never accept this deception." He also mentioned that BC communities across the state had anticipated that the Congress government would introduce a bill in the special legislative session to implement 42 percent reservations in local body elections.

However, he said that the government had only issued a statement without taking concrete steps. Referring to past incidents, KTR recalled that when the Comprehensive Household Survey was conducted under the BRS regime, Revanth Reddy publicly urged people not to provide their details. KTR questioned, "How can the present government refuse to recognize the data collected in an open and transparent survey?" He also pointed out that the Samagra Kutumba Survey was conducted by the previous government, and it has the authentic numbers of the social categories.

KTR criticises Congress for manipulating statistics

KTR further explained that according to the Samagra Kutumba Survey, a total of 1.03 crore families and 3.68 crore people participated in the data collection. The survey identified that BCs make up 51 percent of the population, which increases to 61 percent when BC Muslims are included. He criticized the government for manipulating statistics, questioning how the BC population dropped from 51 percent to 46 percent in the present survey.

The BRS working president also alleged that a Congress MLC had even called for the burning of the current official survey report, raising concerns over the transparency of the data presented by the ruling party. He also stated that BC organizations across Telangana are demanding accountability from the government. He accused Congress of misleading the public by making false promises about BC reservations and the BC Sub-Plan, which was expected to benefit BCs.

The BRS staged a walkout from the assembly with KTR alleging that the Congress is deceiving the backward classes as the caste survey is showing a decline in BC population.

Errors in caste census survey: BJP MLA Payal Shankar

Payal Shankar said that the population of BCs declined in the survey and that several errors were made in the caste census. A thorough survey was not completed and people are skeptical of the government survey. Compared to the 2014 Comprehensive Family Survey, the population of BC has decreased in the current survey.

“Rahul Gandhi spoke brilliantly on the caste census in the Lok Sabha and was very happy to hear his comments. However, Rahul's comments are not in line with the performance of the Congress government in Telangana. Two stickers related to the survey were pasted on my house, many mistakes were made in the survey, it was not done comprehensively, and people did not fully participate in the caste census,” he said.

30 percent of people in GHMC did not participate in caste census survey: Talasani

Talasani Srinivas Yadav said that the population of BC has not grown much in the last 15 years and the population of Muslims has decreased, as per the survey report. Around 30 percent of GHMC did not participate in the survey. “Many people withheld information, thus conducting a survey and coming to a conclusion is insufficient. Legitimization should be granted to government decisions. Which caste is the largest? The government ought to reveal it. Based on the survey report, reservations should be given to BCs in local body elections,” he said.

Akbaruddin moots for thorough study on caste census survey report

"Why is the Congress government condemning the previous BRS party government for failing to table the Comprehensive Family Survey report in the Assembly? Why didn't Congress present the BC census report to the Assembly? The caste census report should be tabled in the Assembly, and we should thoroughly study it before discussing it in the House," said AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi.

KCR family stay away from caste census, fearing to submit land details

In response to the remarks made by the opposition leaders, the chief minister said that BRS president and Leader of Opposition K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), his son KTR BRS and party leaders T Harish Rao, T Padma Rao Goud, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and MLC Pochampally Srinivas Reddy did not participate in the caste census survey. Similarly, BJP MP DK Aruna also did not participate in the survey, he said.

Revanth Reddy alleged that KCR's family did not participate in the survey as they needed to submit their land details. "If the comprehensive family survey conducted by BRS is an official document, why is the report not placed in the cabinet and in the Assembly? Why was the report kept secret by a family? The Congress party is ready to give seats to 42 percent BCs in local body elections. Are BJP and BRS ready," he questioned.

Observing that a constitutional amendment is required to provide 42% reservations to Backward Classes as per law (which would result in a violation of the 50% quota cap), Revanth Reddy stated that the Congress would provide a 42% quota for Backward Classes in the upcoming local body elections in the state. He asked whether the opposition BRS and BJP would follow suit.

Caste Census Report cannot be made public as it deals with personal data of citizens

On AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's claim that the caste survey report itself has not been tabled in the house, with only the Chief Minister's statement shared with members, Revanth Reddy stated that the report is divided into four volumes and that the fourth volume cannot be made public as it deals with personal data of citizens.

Noting the government's transparency, he stated that it is prepared to present the data following legal review and has nothing to hide.

Revanth Reddy claimed that the BJP does not wish to provide opportunity to backward classes, noting that the census was done every decade before to Narendra Modi's election as Prime Minister in 2014.

"The Congress will put pressure on the Centre to conduct the survey nationwide through Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi by addressing the issue in Parliament," the chief minister said.