Hyderabad: Telangana BC Welfare and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said on Sunday that the state has become a national model by conducting a transparent Backward Classes (BC) caste survey and passing a historic bill to increase BC reservations to 42% in education and politics.
He recalled that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had promised a nationwide caste census during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Telangana has fulfilled that promise at the state level under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
The BC caste survey was conducted in a lawful and comprehensive manner by the BC Commission led by Busani Venkateswara Rao, with the support of nearly one lakh government employees. The survey was carried out with full transparency, he added.
Minister Prabhakar confirmed that the bill increasing BC reservations has been passed by both Houses of the Telangana Legislature, approved by the Governor, and is now awaiting the President’s assent. He urged BJP leaders in Telangana to take responsibility and ensure the bill gets clearance at the national level.
He criticised the BJP-led central government for allegedly opposing similar BC welfare efforts in other states like Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand, where political instability followed such initiatives. “This shows the Centre’s unwillingness to support genuine social justice,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leader Laxman, Prabhakar said the Congress government is open to explaining the survey process, which has already been appreciated by major BC associations and intellectuals.
He questioned the BJP’s commitment to BC representation, asking why no BC leader is made BJP national president or Leader of the Opposition. “Society will not accept token gestures while real leadership opportunities are denied,” he said.
Highlighting economic challenges faced by BC communities, he said rising prices, job losses, and cuts in welfare schemes are hitting them the hardest. “Supporting strong initiatives like the BC survey and reservation bill is the real test of commitment,” he added.
Calling the 42% reservation law a “role model for the country,” Prabhakar urged the central government to conduct a nationwide caste census and withdraw its earlier affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing it.
He concluded by stressing that only such decisive actions can ensure justice for Backward Classes across India.
