Revanth Reddy holds protest in Delhi seeking approval to BC Bills, warns of escalating agitation if demand not met

New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday accused the BJP-led Centre of blocking Presidential assent to the Backward Class Reservation Bills and warned that Congress would escalate its agitation if the delay continues.

He also dubbed the BJP as anti-BC.

Revanth Reddy along with several MPs from the southern state and his Ministers staged a protest over their demand at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.

Besides Revanth Reddy, Congress MPs Gourav Gogoi, Jyothimani Sennimalai, DMK MP Kanimozhi, Samajwadi Party, Shivasena (UBT), NCP-SP MPs also took part in the protest and expressed their solidarity to the cause.

While addressing the protest, the Chief Minister highlightednhow his government brought two Bills for BCs in Telangana.

He said, "During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had promised to get a caste census done and also to provide 42 per cent reservation to the BCs in Telangana. And the Congress government had fulfilled its promise of conducting a caste census and approving 42 per cent reservations for OBCs in the state assembly."

He said that the two bills, which were sent to the President over four months ago, remain unapproved. 

Reddy said the Centre’s "indifference was a serious affront to the aspirations of backward communities". 

He also warned the BJP that it would be viewed as anti-BC if the President’s nod was not granted and said that the bills had been pending for the last four months without any response.

He also said that the Telangana government had sought an appointment with the President but had received no response so far.

The Congress leader slamming the BJP said, "If the BJP government does jot ensure the approval for the BC Reservation Bills, the Congress would work towards removing it at the Centre." 

He said the Congress was forced to protest both on the streets and in Parliament due to the Centre’s indifference.