Hyderabad, Jul 25 (PTI) Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday suggested that Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy step down from his post and appoint a Backward Class leader as CM before preaching others on empowerment of BCs.
Kishan Reddy also said the CM should urge Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi to relinquish his post to a BC leader.
His comments came in response to Revanth Reddy's recent demand that Bandaru Dattatreya, an OBC leader from Telangana, be made the Vice President
Addressing reporters in Delhi, the Union Coal and Mines Minister said, "It would be better if he (Revanth Reddy) implements it in his own party. He should quit as CM and make a BC leader as Chief Minister. He should make his leader (Rahul Gandhi) quit as opposition leader in Delhi and elect a BC leader. Then he can preach others."
Asked if he supported Dattatreya's candidature for the Vice President post, Kishan Reddy affirmed his support, saying he would accept his party's decision.
He reiterated that the Congress should "implement before preaching others."
Revanth Reddy had demanded that Ex-Governor Bandaru Dattatreya be made the Vice President of India.
CM Revanth Reddy, along with other state party leaders, met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and discussed the state government's "new movement for social justice by recommending 42 per cent OBC reservation".
On the Congress party's 42 per cent OBC reservation promise, Kishan Reddy said the caste survey conducted by the Congress government indicated a 56 per cent BC population, comprising 10 per cent "BC Muslims" and 46 per cent "BC Hindus".
Noting that the 10 per cent EWS reservation introduced by the PM Narendra Modi government also applies to Muslims, he claimed that CM Revanth Reddy and Rahul Gandhi's attempt to implement "10 per cent quotas to Muslims" alongside BC reservations would disadvantage the Backward Classes and cannot be implemented legally.
The BJP leader also highlighted that the Congress has never had a BC Prime Minister, whereas the BJP has.
He said the BJP insists that the 42 per cent reservation should only benefit the BCs.
If the BJP comes to power in Telangana, it would revoke the existing four per cent reservation for Muslims in Telangana and allocate it to SC, ST and BCs, Kishan Reddy added.
Meanwhile, CM Revanth Reddy, in a post on X, expressed that Rahul Gandhi's appreciation for the caste survey in Telangana would inspire him to continue the "fight against all odds till total social justice goals are achieved".
The Telangana government recently issued an ordinance, facilitating 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local body polls to amend an Act that was passed by the State Assembly in 2018.