Even as A. Revanth Reddy has expressed his views in proposed delimitation move of the Centre, he once again touted the BJP for making southern states irrelevant, sources said.
Reddy, who was in the national capital for attending the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party’s highest decision making body to discuss the Constitutional amendments being brought for the Women’s Reservation Bill as well as the delimitation.
Reddy, according to sources said that the Women’s Reservation Bill is the baby of the Congress and party’s brain child.
Taking a swipe at the government, the Chief Minister, according to sources slammed the BJP and said that they are yet to share the proposal of the three day Parliament Session from April 16 to 18 with the Congress or other opposition parties.
He then jibed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sources said that Reddy maintained that for the Prime Minister and the Home Minister everything is politics and political narrative.
He, as per sources suggested that the government should first implement the Women’s Reservation Bill according to the current strength of the Lok Sabha that is 543 and allot 181 seats reserved for women.
After which, the government can take up census and delimitation issue, the source said referring to the remarks made by the Chief Minister.
He, the source said also referred to the remarks made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha about implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2024 Lon Sabha polls.
When asked about the view of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Women’s Reservation Bill, sources said that Reddy said that she demanded for quota under quota for the OBC community.
To a question if the government doesn’t agree to the demands of the opposition, then what would be the next step, the source said that Reddy maintained that public movement is a solution.
He, the source said argued that southern states, which contribute nearly 40 per cent to the national economy, deserve proportional political representation.
Reddy, the source said if the Centre proceeds with delimitation without consulting southern states, it could spark protests similar to the farmers’ agitation that forced the rollback of the three farm laws.
The source said that, Reddy claimed that this is not only about numbers but it is about giving proper representation to all the states.
While highlighting the disparity done with the southern states in comparison with the northern states, the Chief Minister, as per sources said that there are many disparities.
The Chief Minister, according to sources asserted that in the last couple of years, nothing great has been given to southern states, whether in cabinet allocation by the Centre from the southern states.
The source also said that Reddy claimed that under Congress many important portfolios were given to south India but under BJP that is not happening any more, as only one or two faces are being given.
To a question if it’s a ploy to make the southern states irrelevant, the source claimed that the Chief Minister agreed to it and stated that there is a a lot of cultural differences, difference of Dravidian and Aryan between the south and the north.
This is why they want to make south irrelevant and BJP is always against Dravidian or south, the source said, claiming it to be his personal statement and not of the party.
Reddy, the source also said that highlighted that south is the financial capital and the north being the political capital which has more say.
The source said, Reddy said, “hum pahle se hi ghaayal hai, hame ghataak mat banao” (literally meaning that don’t kick someone when he is really down and make him more dangerous).
He, the source claimed that the BJP wants to rule India through the ‘Bimaaru’ (ill) states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and others which have more representation in the Parliament.
