Congress wants hike in BC and SC reservations

HYDERABAD : The Congress Party has begun cornering the state government on Muslim reservations issue by demanding for enhancement of reservations to BCs and SCs as per their population ratio.

“We support reservations to Muslims as it was the Congress that led government in the then united state which made a legislation providing reservations to Muslims. Our stand is clear on this issue,” TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy told mediapersons, after holding an emergency meeting of the party state executive at Gandhi Bhavan here to formulate party strategy on the issue.

“As it was the election promise of the TRS, the government should take all possible measures to provide 12  per cent reservations to both Muslims and STs. At the same time, we demand that the government should provide reservations to BCs and dalits as per their population ratio,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said, putting a rider to the Congress Party’s support to the Muslim reservations issue.

TPCC president said onus to obtain the Centre’s consent for providing 12 per cent reservations to Muslims and STs each in the state lies with the TRS government in the state.

According to sources, during the meeting Congress leaders felt that they could not directly differ with state government’s decision to provide more reservations to Muslims as it is a sensitive issue. 

However, in order to create trouble to TRS, the Congress decided to exert pressure on it to enhance the quota of reservations to BCs and SCs in accordance with their population percentage in the State. Interestingly, further creating a difficult situation for the ruling party, the TPCC chief demanded that people belonging to the Valmiki Boya and Khayitha Lambada communities be included in the list of STs in the state as per the TRS poll promise.