Suryapet: Launching the party’s campaign for the Telangana assembly election on Wednesday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati took a swipe at the previous Congress government on Wednesday, stating that the OBC community got reservations due to the struggles and hard work of the BSP, not because of the Congress party.
The BSP Chief reminded voters that reservation to the OBC community was granted as per the Mandal commmission under the central government led by former prime minister VP Singh.
“People belonging to the OBC community should know that the reservation as per the Mandal Commission report was not given under the rule of the Congress party’s government in the centre, but due to the struggles and hard work of the BSP, under the central government led by VP Singh they got this facility,” Mayawati said while addressing a public rally during a campaign for the party candidate , Vatte Janaiah Yadav, in Telangana’s Suryapet constituency.
On August 7, 1990, the then prime minister VP Singh decided to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, and open up reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs
He announced that OBCs would get 27 per cent reservation in jobs in central government services and public sector units.
“Congress did not even honour Baba Saheb Ambedkar with Bharat Ratna. It was the BSP, due to which he was honoured with the highest civilian award. Neither did the Congress announce a day of mourning after the death of Kanshi Ram, who is known for carrying forward the legacy of Baba Saheb. It simply reflects Congress’s casteist mindset”, she added.
Attacking the Telangana government, Mayawati said, “It is clearly visible that the weaker sections of society are being oppressed here in the state”.
Telangana will go for Assembly elections on November 30 and the counting of votes, along with those of four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3.
In the previous Assembly election in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), won 88 of the 119 seats, grabbing 47.4 per cent of the total vote share. The Congress came in a distant second with just 19 seats.
