Hyderabad: The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the ruling Congress government for what it termed a “deliberate and deceptive campaign” surrounding the issue of Backward Classes (BC) reservations in local body elections.
In a strongly worded statement, BJP’s State Chief Spokesperson and Media In-charge, N.V. Subash, accused the Congress of using constitutional institutions like the office of the President of India as scapegoats to divert attention from its own legislative failures.
Subash particularly targeted State Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, criticizing him for trying to blame the Union Government and the President for the Congress government’s inability or unwillingness to implement the proposed 42% reservations for BCs in gram panchayat elections. “It is nothing but an empty gesture to invite the BJP to be part of a delegation to meet the President. If the Congress is truly committed, it can introduce the reservation right at the gram panchayat level without resorting to such political theatrics,” Subash said.
Calling the ongoing Congress campaign “a smokescreen designed to confuse the people,” Subash reminded the ruling party that it has no excuse for not implementing BC reservations. “The Congress is well aware that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which enabled Panchayati Raj institutions, was passed during the tenure of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. If the party really wants to increase BC reservations, it should convene a special session of the Assembly and pass the necessary amendments instead of pointing fingers at the Centre or seeking endorsement from the President,” he said.
Subash also reminded the people of Telangana that it is the Modi-led NDA government that has shown real commitment to social justice. “We didn’t just talk. We amended the Constitution to provide 10% reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) among the upper castes, ensured fair implementation of SC/ST quotas, and respected the 50% reservation cap laid down by the Supreme Court,” he said.
He referred to the landmark Supreme Court judgment during the Maratha reservation case, where the apex court reaffirmed that reservations cannot exceed 50%, except in exceptional cases involving a high SC/ST population, such as in the North-East or tribal-dominated areas like Jharkhand. Telangana, he said, does not fall into this category, and the Congress is deliberately misleading the public by comparing incomparable states.
“The BJP refuses to become a participant in this political farce. We will continue to expose the Congress’s dual-faced politics. The Constitution is clear—no religion-based reservations are permitted—and yet the Congress is hell-bent on violating that in the name of BC upliftment,” Subash asserted.
He concluded by urging the people of Telangana, especially the BC communities, to see through the Congress’s “vote-bank gimmicks” and recognize the BJP as the only party that has consistently stood for constitutional integrity, social equity, and true empowerment of the backward and marginalized.
