Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday, November 11, said the Congress deserved credit for introducing a 4 per cent reservation for minorities and challenged the BJP to scrap it.
In a clip from his speech at the National Education Day and Minority Welfare Day celebrations here on the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Revanth also spoke about how the BJP had announced, during the election campaign, that it would scrap reservations for minorities.
He said people will come and go “magar hamaara 4 per cent reservation hataane wala koi maai ka laal nahi hai …ab koshish kar ke dekho, sarkaar aapka hi hai na Hindustan mein …himmat hai toh Gujarat mein hataa ke dikhaao (There is no one who can remove our 4 per cent reservation. You have the govt at the Centre…if you have the guts, try removing minority reservation in Gujarat where you (BJP) have your own government).”
The CM also accused the BRS of failing to fulfil its promise of 12 per cent reservation during its 12 years in power.
‘Quota benefited many over the years’
Underscoring the need for reservation to uplift SCs, STs, and minorities, Revanth said, “If India wants to become number one in the world, it is essential for the government to focus on the welfare and education of SCs, STs and minorities. To address this poverty, the Congress government, under Sonia Gandhi ji’s leadership, worked hard to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for minorities in education and employment.”
Pointing out that minorities get 4 per cent reservation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he said to the crowd, “Because of this, many of you have become Group 1 and Group 2 officers. You have also received opportunities across the Police Department. In education, many students have benefited from reservation in medical and engineering courses. Thousands of doctors and engineers from minority communities have benefited from this reservation over the past 20 years.”
The CM added that the BJP was trying to delete the names of the poor and minorities from the voter list, while the Congress had ensured voting rights for them.
Speaking about the development of Hyderabad’s Old City, he said he wanted to develop the night economy so that business can be conducted even at night along the banks of the Musi River.
He said that by rejuvenating the Musi River, the government would restore the Old City.
The government was committed to protecting and developing the area, he said, adding that Metro Rail works in the Old City had been expedited. Through the rejuvenation of the Musi River, the government would restore the Old City to its former glory.
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Source: The Siasat Daily
