Hyderabad: Telangana minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president, KT Rama Rao, criticised the Congress BC declaration, suggesting that the party ‘should withdraw’ it.
KT Rama Rao cited the Congress party’s spending on minority welfare over the past decade (2004-14) and compared it to the Telangana government’s expenditure since 2014 and said that while the Congress government spent approximately Rs 930 crores in ten years, the BRS government spent Rs 10,140 crores between 2014 and 23.
The minister accused the Congress of forming the minority declaration in collaboration with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to incite conflict between minorities and BCs. “Muslims if put under the BC caste census won’t receive the benefits of separate minority departments, corporations, and welfare measures. The declaration aligns with the BJP’s ideology,” he said.
KTR said that Congress is unnecessarily mixing up things and creating unrest undesirable for society.
“Why are they including religious minorities that have been recognized by the Constitution of India in the caste census?” he asked.
He also labelled the TPCC president Revanth Reddy as an RSS affiliate working with BJP. “Congress appointed weak candidates in the constituencies where BJP candidates Raja Singh, Bandi Sanjay, and Arvind D are contesting,” 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.
(With inputs from PTI).
