The BJP will ensure the inclusion of the Kapu community in the list of Backward Classes (BCs) and provide them reservation without affecting the interests of others castes in the list, party State secretary A. Siva Nagendra Rao has said.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, Mr. Nagendra Rao said BJP State president Kanna Lakshminarayana had discussed the issue with party president Amit Shah during the office-bearers’ meeting in New Delhi recently.
“Following Mr. Shah’s suggestion, Mr. Lakshminarayana took up the issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh,” Mr. Nagendra Rao said.
“Mr. Singh enquired about the status of the A.P. Kapu (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in Services under the State) Bill, which had been passed in the Legislative Assembly, and promised to look into the file thereof,” he added.
Mr. Singh also assured a delegation, comprising State party affairs in-charge V. Muraleedharan, co-in-charge Sunil Deodhar, Mr. Lakshminarayana and D. Purandeswari, that the party would extend reservation to the Kapus without affecting the quota being enjoyed by the BCs.
“The issue has been complicated by various parties, but the BJP is keen on doing what it can to alleviate the plight of the numerically strong Kapus,” Mr. Nagendra Rao said.
Kapu JAC Krishna district convener M. Pitchaiah said the Tuni violence undermined the movement and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had done nothing to salvage the situation.
JAC leaders A. Gandhi, N.S. Raju, S. Vara Prasad, B. Padma, K. Ganesh, A. Jayaprada and M. Vijaya Lakshmi were present.
