Telangana Congress workers head to Delhi for protest demanding BC quota

A special train carrying several Congress workers and leaders from Telangana departed for New Delhi on Monday, 4 August. They are set to participate in a protest led by chief minister A. Revanth Reddy on 6 August, demanding presidential assent for the Backward Classes reservation bills passed by the state legislature.

The special train departed from Charlapalli railway station on Monday morning, party sources said.

Among those who boarded the train were Telangana Congress president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, AICC in-charge of state affairs Meenakshi Natarajan, and state Backward Classes welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar.

Goud and Natarajan would travel up to Nagpur, the sources said.

Speaking to reporters before boarding the train, Goud alleged that Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and other BJP leaders are trying to obstruct the 42 per cent quota to BCs by citing inclusion of Muslims.

In response, the BJP in Telangana has alleged that Congress, despite promising 42 per cent quotas to BCs, is now allocating 10 per cent of it to Muslims in the guise of Backward Classes.

As part of the agitation, the Congress has planned a series of protests from 5 to 7 August.

On August 5, party MPs will move an adjournment motion in Parliament to demand a debate on the BC quota bills.

On 6 August, the chief minister, along with his Cabinet colleagues and other Congress leaders, will stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar.

Revanth Reddy and other senior leaders will seek an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu on 7 August to submit a memorandum regarding the pending bills.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will also seek an audience with the President, minister Ponnam Prabhakar said earlier.

The Telangana Legislative Assembly had passed two bills in March to enhance BC reservation to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies.

The bills were forwarded to the Governor and are currently awaiting Presidential assent.