BC associations seek 50% quota in legislative bodies, separate ministry

Minister justifies demand for separate ministry for BCs at the Centre

February 24, 2021 12:04 am | Updated 12:04 am IST - HYDERABAD

Backward Classes associations in the State organised protest meets (deeksha) on Tuesday demanding 50% reservation for BCs in law making bodies and creating a separate ministry for them at the Centre.

Leaders of several political parties and BC associations participated in the deeksha here. In Hyderabad, National Backward Classes Welfare Association organised the protest meet that was attended by Minister for BC Welfare Gangula Kamalakar, State TDP president L. Ramana, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao, BC Association’s leader R. Krishnaiah, G. Krishna, and G. Satyam.

Mr. Kamalakar extended support to the demand for 50% reservation and creation of separate ministry for BCs at the Centre. All other demands of the BC communities would see the light of the day if the two major demands were fulfilled.

He requested the Centre to create separate ministry for BC communities and allocate ₹1 lakh crore budget. Stating that there were 72 departments in the Central government including separate ministries for SC, ST, minorities and women, Mr. Kamalakar sought to know how not having the separate ministry for communities comprising 56% of the population was justified even 74 years after Independence.

President of National BC Welfare Association R. Krishnaiah said the demands for separate ministry and 50% quota in the law making bodies for BC communities was judicious and their fulfilment would undo the injustice being meted out to them, at least to some extent. He explained that there was no BC MLA from 20 out of 33 districts in Telangana and no BC MP from 18 out of the 29 States in the country.

Besides, of the 129 BC communities in the State, 119 had not even entered the portals of State Legislature so far and at the national level, 2,580 BC communities out of a total of 2,644 had similar fate in case of representation in Parliament. Empowerment of BC communities was possible only with political reservations in the country, he felt.

Former MP and Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao said that injustice was being done to BC communities due to lack of political reservation. Mr. Ramana said there was the need to build a movement in support of 50% quota for BCs in law making bodies.

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