Changing the Constitution to abolish reservation has been BJP's agenda since the beginning, says Revanth

HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy alleged that changing the Constitution of India and scrapping reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has been part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) agenda from the beginning.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Revanth Reddy stated that the abolition of reservations was rooted in the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and that the BJP aimed to implement this agenda. He highlighted that the Constitution protected the rights of Dalits, Tribals, OBCs, and Minorities, and the reservation system served to safeguard against the BJP's alleged conspiracies.

Revanth Reddy cited a 2000 gazette notification issued by the then-BJP government, which appointed a 10-member Justice Venkatachaliah Commission to review amendments to the Constitution. Although the commission submitted its report in 2002, the threat of altering the Constitution was averted when the Congress party came to power in 2004.

He referenced statements by prominent RSS figures, including Golwalkar and NG Vaidya, who had previously voiced their opposition to reservations. He also mentioned that Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde, in 2017, publicly declared that the BJP intended to change the Constitution. BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan, who served as Lok Sabha Speaker from 2014 to 2019, raised doubts about whether reservations could lead to development. These instances, according to Revanth Reddy, indicated that RSS and BJP leaders were advancing a clear agenda to abolish reservations. He challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to clarify their stance on these matters.

Revanth Reddy noted that Congress had committed to increasing reservations and planned to conduct a Backward Class census, as proposed by Rahul Gandhi. On the other hand, he accused the BJP of aiming to secure 400 seats in the Lok Sabha by splitting opposition parties and overthrowing elected governments in eight states. He emphasised that a case was filed against him for exposing this agenda.

The Chief Minister alleged that after using the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Income Tax Departments to harass opposition leaders, the BJP government was now using the police. He alleged that the Delhi Police, controlled by the Central Government, was being used to intimidate him and the people of Telangana.

He further criticised the central government for levying non-bailable charges against a state chief minister, claiming that the Delhi Police behaved inappropriately when a female advocate visited the police station to lodge a complaint. He said, "Why do Delhi authorities believe that I will surrender?"

Revanth Reddy appealed to voters to decide which party they wanted in power: a party supporting reservations, like Congress, or one seeking to abolish them, like the BJP. He urged voters to support the INDIA coalition to protect the Constitution and the reservation system for Dalits, Tribals, OBCs, and Minorities in India.