Union Minister Kishan Reddy Launches Scathing Attack on Congress Over Reservation Policy
In a sharp escalation of political rhetoric ahead of upcoming municipal elections in Telangana, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday launched a blistering attack against the ruling Congress party. The senior BJP leader accused Congress of pursuing what he termed 'religion-based politics' under the deceptive cover of welfare initiatives and social justice programs.
Congress as 'Muslim League Congress' in Telangana
Kishan Reddy asserted that the name 'Muslim League Congress' would be an appropriate description for the Congress party in Telangana. He specifically referenced Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's previous statements where the CM had reportedly declared that "Congress means Muslims, and Muslims mean Congress."
The Union minister highlighted that the Telangana government has committed to submitting documents before the Supreme Court to secure permanent status for the controversial 4% reservation allocated to Muslims in the state. He reminded that when Congress initially introduced this 4% Muslim reservation in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the high court had struck it down twice, declaring it unconstitutional.
"Despite these judicial setbacks, the Congress party approached the Supreme Court, obtained a stay order, and proceeded to implement the reservations anyway," Kishan Reddy stated in a detailed social media post.
Alleged Reduction of Backward Classes Population
The Union minister leveled serious allegations regarding the recent caste survey conducted by the Congress government. He claimed that through this exercise, the administration deliberately manipulated statistics to significantly reduce the documented population of Backward Classes in Telangana.
According to Kishan Reddy, the actual BC population in the state stands at 46%. However, by including 10% Muslims within the BC category, the Congress government has artificially inflated this figure to 56%. This statistical manipulation, he argued, has direct consequences for reservation allocations.
The government has established 42% reservations in local bodies for BCs and Muslims combined. After allocating 10% specifically for Muslims, the remaining reservation for genuine BCs effectively diminishes from 34% to just 32%. "If the court does not intervene and stay these orders, the BC community will suffer tremendously," the minister warned.
Historical Evidence of Reservation Misuse
Kishan Reddy pointed to the 2020 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections as concrete evidence of how reservations intended for BC empowerment are being diverted. In that election, 50 of the 150 seats were reserved for Backward Classes candidates.
"Shockingly, non-BC candidates won 31 of those 50 reserved seats," he revealed. "This translates to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen effectively capturing 62% of seats specifically allocated for BC empowerment."
The minister posed a critical question: "When reservations designed to uplift Backward Classes are systematically misdirected in this manner, how can genuine BC communities ever receive the justice they deserve?"
Double Quota Strategy Allegations
Kishan Reddy further alleged that Congress is implementing a dual strategy that disproportionately benefits Muslims at the expense of Backward Classes. The party has already established 4% reservations based on religious grounds and is now attempting to add another 10% by unlawfully including Muslims within the BC category.
This approach, according to the Union minister, directly harms genuinely eligible Backward Classes who have historically faced systemic disadvantages. The consequences of forcibly including non-BC communities in reserved categories are already visible to the people of Telangana through electoral outcomes and resource allocation patterns.
The minister's comments come at a crucial political juncture as Telangana prepares for municipal elections, with reservation policies emerging as a central point of contention between the ruling Congress and opposition parties.
