Rahul Gandhi has pushed the Congress party towards a crushing defeat in over 45 elections. Now, the urban Naxals surrounding him are instigating caste-based conflicts in India for their gain. Under the pretext of “Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Rahul Gandhi has taken up new slogans, including the caste census during his yatra in 2022. Suppressing the actions of his ancestors that caused many of the country’s problems, he is now pretending to be a reformer—this is the strategy of these urban Naxals. As a continuation of this, Telangana’s Congress government has started a new drama, announcing reservations based on the BC caste census. Acting as if they are conducting a household survey for the first time, they have presented a useless report to the public, akin to digging a mountain and finding a mouse.
In 2014, when KCR formed the first Telangana government, they conducted a hurried one-day survey. For unknown reasons, those reports were never made public. As part of the Congress government’s discussions on caste-based reservations under Revanth Reddy, BRS leaders are making random statements as they see fit. Moreover, some of their party members were sent to Tamil Nadu to “study” reservations, and their party leader Kavitha’s frequent comments on BCs seem as absurd as demons reciting the Vedas.
In the past, the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government snatched BC reservations and handed over a 5 per cent quota to Muslim minorities in 2005. Later, KCR’s government passed a resolution in the assembly to increase Muslim reservations to 12 per cent and sent it to the central government in 2017. Along with it, the bill for tribal reservations was also sent, but this clubbing together led to injustice for tribals. This is just one example of how so-called secular governments have deceived Hindus while competing to offer freebies to minorities.
KCR openly declared in a meeting with Muslim religious leaders that he would ensure reservations for Muslims, even if it meant merging the earth and sky. In a Telangana cabinet meeting, he went further, quoting in Urdu, “Main baat kehta hoon to barqarar rehta hoon, aap sab jaante hain” (I say what I mean and stand by it, and you all know it). Due to the injustice committed by Rajasekhar Reddy, BC communities lost significant representation in local bodies. Governments that do not understand the history of reservations play dangerous political games, all for securing a handful of votes.
The granting of minority reservations has severely harmed over 110 BC communities in Telangana. In government jobs, BCs suffer losses due to bureaucratic mismanagement, and there is no one to question it. If the Constitution’s framers had intended religious-based reservations, they would have included it right from the beginning. Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution already grant special opportunities, rights, and benefits to minorities.
Reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were granted for valid social reasons—untouchability and oppression. Recognising this, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and others had to fight a great battle to secure these rights. But when was there ever oppression or inequality against Muslims in this country? India was under Muslim rule for nearly 600 years, where the entire social structure and system were disturbed —something that white-collar leftist intellectuals never address.
For 75 years, democracy has weakened casteism to some extent. However, in Telangana, Muslim rule persisted for 400 years, from the Qutb Shahis to the Asaf Jahis. The atrocities they committed as Deshmukh, jagirdars, and razakars are well documented in history.
Despite multiple government schemes over the years promising justice for poor Muslims, why has their condition not improved? Is this the government’s failure or a flaw in the social structure of Muslims? No one discusses this. During Sonia Gandhi’s UPA regime, the Rajinder Sachar Committee was formed, and a communal violence bill was proposed to destabilise Hindu society. Fearing a mass public backlash, they withdrew it.
Similarly, KCR set up the BC Commission under B.S. Ramulu and the Sudhir Committee to create another report to divert BC reservations towards Muslims. Revanth Reddy is executing the same plan under the guise of caste census. The steps taken by Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, KCR, and now Revanth Reddy are all identical.
During the UPA era, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh openly stated that “the first claim to our government’s resources belongs to the Muslim minority.” This exposes the perverse priorities of these leaders.
All this appeasement drama is modelled after the Tamil Nadu government, which has set an example of minority appeasement. In Tamil Nadu, the journey to granting 69 per cent reservations to SCs, STs, and minorities was a long political manoeuvre.
In 1969, the Tamil Nadu government, under A.N. Sattanathan, established the BC Commission to benefit BCs. Based on this report, BC reservations increased from 25 per cent to 31 per cent, and SC reservations increased from 16 per cent to 18 per cent, bringing the total to 49 per cent. In 1980, BC reservations were further raised to 50 per cent, increasing the total reservation quota to 69 per cent.
However, in 1992, the Supreme Court ruled in the Indra Sawhney case that reservations cannot exceed 50 per cent. Faced with this, the Tamil Nadu government passed a resolution in 1993 and sent it to the centre. Eventually, through the 76th Constitutional Amendment, the issue was placed in the 9th Schedule, shielding it from judicial review.
Today in Tamil Nadu, BCs receive 30 per cent reservations, with 26.5% for BC General and 3.5 per cent for BC Muslims. Additionally, MBCs (Most Backward Classes) have 20 per cent reservations, while SCs and STs have 19 per cent.
BCs already have a 4 per cent reservation in Telangana, and some also benefit under the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota. KCR’s plan to give 12 per cent direct Muslim reservations failed. Now, under Revanth Reddy’s Congress government, an effort is underway to reclassify some Muslim communities as BCs and grant them over 10 per cent reservations.
From 2001 to 2011, Telangana’s Hindu population was consistently higher. 2001, Hindus comprised 85.84 per cent of the state’s population, which slightly declined to 85.09 per cent by 2011. Meanwhile, the Muslim population increased from 12.43 per cent in 2001 to 12.68 per cent in 2011.
However, the Congress government’s flawed caste census survey has paved the way for a fraudulent scheme to deprive Hindu BCs. It appears that national-level Muslim organisations are pressuring the Congress government. If this move succeeds, it will cause irreparable harm to BCs in Telangana and lead to massive social unrest.
The Congress government’s caste census report raised eyebrows and exposed its deception. According to their report, in 2014, Hindu BCs accounted for 51 per cent of Telangana’s population, while Muslim BCs were 10 per cent. But by 2024, Hindu BCs have reportedly fallen to 46.25 per cent, while Muslim BCs have risen to 10.08 per cent.
How did the Hindu BC population decrease? Why did it decrease? Who is behind this shift? Can the Congress government explain?
It seems the Congress is trying to win over its old ally, Asaduddin Owaisi, by engineering a bulk transfer of BC votes to Muslims. How fair is it to snatch food from BCs’ mouths to appease minorities?
Already, in local bodies, Muslim politicians are winning based on demographic strength and reservations. Without realising this, BCs are being subjected to grave injustice.
The practice of appointing Muslim leaders as co-option members in local bodies—without elections, purely for political reasons—began under Rajasekhar Reddy and was reinforced by KCR. This allows minority leaders to wield government power without facing elections.
Already, minority rights are being constitutionally enjoyed, with schools, colleges, medical colleges, and engineering colleges being run by minority groups. Governments are granting crores of rupees specifically for these institutions. A committee should be formed to investigate how many poor Muslims have benefited from these institutions and submit a report. Based on the findings, if necessary, the benefits should be revoked. At a time when such a demand should be made, the Congress government’s new drama is nothing but sacrificing BCs.
