A united front of Backward Classes (BC) leaders, including several ministers, has firmly declared their intent to launch an all-out legal battle. Their goal is the full implementation of 42% reservations for BCs, and they emphasize the urgency of filing petitions in both the Supreme Court and the Telangana High Court to ensure this comes to fruition.
This strong stance emerged from a recent round-table conference held on Saturday, spearheaded by R. Krishnaiah, the president of the National BC Welfare Association. The central theme of the gathering was the critical need to implement the 42% reservation policy.
The conference saw enthusiastic participation from a diverse group, including representatives from various political parties, members of 60 different BC organizations, and other key stakeholders. All attendees unanimously resolved to relentlessly pursue the implementation of these increased reservations for Backward Classes in upcoming local body elections.
Notable figures present at this crucial meeting included Minister Vakiti Srihari, former Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, and former ministers Gangula Kamalakar and V. Srinivas Goud, underscoring the broad support for the cause.
During his address, Rajya Sabha member R. Krishnaiah highlighted the imperative of filing impleading petitions in the Supreme Court. This proactive step is necessary because existing government orders (GOs) mandating 42% reservation for Backward Classes are currently facing challenges through various petitions. Mr. Krishnaiah emphatically clarified that this increase in BC reservations would not adversely affect the reservations already in place for individuals from the open category (OC) under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota.
Critiquing those who oppose BC reservations, Mr. Krishnaiah warned that such opposition could lead to unnecessary societal unrest. He urged, “Do not impede the State government’s earnest efforts to deliver justice to the Backward Classes, especially after we have fought a long and arduous battle to secure these reservation rights.”
Furthermore, Mr. Krishnaiah asserted the State government’s legitimate authority to implement these reservations through a Government Order. He expressed strong confidence in winning the legal case, citing compelling factors such as recent census data, the Assembly’s approval of related bills, and the Supreme Court’s decision to remove the 50% reservation ceiling in certain EWS cases, which he believes sets a crucial precedent.