Telangana Polls: BRS Attacks Cong Over Minority Declaration

Attacking the Congress over its 'minority declaration' for the Telangana Assembly polls, the ruling BRS on Friday alleged that the proposal of Congress to conduct caste census and club minorities with backward classes for the purpose of reservation would create a rift between the two.

BRS Working President K T Rama Rao quoted the 'minority declaration' as saying, "conduct caste census within six months and ensure fair reservation for all backward classes, including minorities, in jobs, education and government welfare schemes".

The proposal to 'include minorities in the backward classes census' would hurt both backward classes and minorities, he claimed. If the minorities are included in BCs, then the backward classes would say that the former are snatching away their reservation leading to a rift, he told reporters.

If census is conducted and all Muslims are identified as BCs, there will be no need for a separate minorities welfare ministry, minorities commission and no other minority body, he said.

The BJP talks about 'pasmanda (backward) Muslims' and the declaration of Congress looks like it is linked to BJP's ideology, he claimed. "Why are they including religious minorities that have been recognised by the Constitution of India in the caste census. They are unnecessarily mixing up things and creating unrest which is not desirable for the society," Rama Rao, son of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, said.

The track record of the Congress is so bad that over Rs 900 crore was spent on minorities welfare in Telangana between 2004 and 2014 when the party was in power in undivided Andhra Pradesh whereas Rs 10,140 crore was spent during the BRS regime since 2004, he said.

Referring to Congress releasing a 'BC declaration' on Friday, Rama Rao said why did not the Congress form a separate ministry for welfare of OBCs when it was in power between 2004 to 2014 at the Centre. KCR, who was Union Minister then, had met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2004 and urged the establishment of such a OBC welfare ministry, he said.

The BJP and PM Narendra Modi promised to make a BC as CM if the party came to power in Telangana, but did they form a ministry for OBC welfare, he added. The Telangana Congress has said it would increase the budget up to Rs 4,000 crore annually towards minority welfare, besides conducting the caste census within six months after coming to power, if elected in the November 30 Assembly polls.

The "Minority Declaration" released on Thursday, said it will ensure fair reservation for all backward classes including, minorities in jobs, education and government schemes.