BC associations call for Statewide bandh on October 14

Protesting the Telangana High Court’s recent stay on the State government’s G.O. 9, which enables 42% reservations in local body polls, 22 Backward Class (BC) associations have called for a Statewide bandh on October 14.

At a meeting held on Saturday, National Backward Classes Welfare Association president and BJP MP in Rajya Sabha R. Krishnaiah criticised the High Court’s decision, stating that it contradicts the Supreme Court’s ruling. He pointed out that the stay was issued for the first time in history after the election notification, which is a grave injustice to the BCs.

Mr. Krishnaiah urged all political parties to support the BCs, arguing that the 50% cap on reservations has already been violated with the implementation of EWS reservations. “There’s no logic in the argument that ‘merit’ would be affected, as even uneducated individuals contest elections,” he said.

MR. Krishnaiah also made it clear that the BC associations will not allow the government to conduct elections based on existing reservations.

Meanwhile, Mr. Krishnaiah and other BC leaders met Union Minister of Coal, G. Kishan Reddy, and appealed for the BJP’s support for the enhanced BC quota.