NEW DELHI: A protest will be held at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital on Wednesday in support of the demand for the implementation of the reservation Bill passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly recently to increase the quota for Backward Classes from 23 per cent to 42 per cent. Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to join the protest that has been organised by the Backward Classes associations from Telangana at Jantar Mantar today.
Apart from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and a slew of other senior Congress leaders the Chief Minister of Telangana, A Revanth Reddy, is also expected to participate in the protest in the national Capital.
Telangana seeks to become the first state in the country to implement reservations based on a caste survey, with its Legislative Assembly passing the Bill to hike quota for Backward Classes in government jobs, educational institutions, and local body elections.
Telangana has become the third state in India after Karnataka and Bihar to hold a caste survey in order to find out the caste-wise population tally.
The new reservation Bill passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly proposes a 42 per cent quota for Backward Classes, 18 per cent for Scheduled Castes, and 10 per cent for Scheduled Tribes from the existing 29 per cent, 15 per cent, and 6 per cent, respectively.
With this, the Congress ruled state aims to push the 50 per cent ceiling on quota set by the apex court to 70 per cent, which requires the nod of the Union government.
Following the passage of the Bill, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for an appointment to discuss the issue. He also requested a meeting with representatives from the Congress party, the BJP, the BRS, CPI and AIMIM in order to ensure the Union government’s support.
Soon after the reservation Bill was passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly Bill, LoP Gandhi had lauded it and called it “revolutionary.” He had reaffirmed the Congress’ commitment to holding a nationwide caste census. “The Telangana government has used scientific caste count data to ensure BCs receive their due rights. This is what the whole country needs,” he posted on X, adding that a caste census will “definitely happen in India.”
He is expected to participate in the protest today at Jantar Mantar.