New Delhi: A protest is scheduled to take place at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Wednesday, advocating for the implementation of the reservation Bill recently passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly. This Bill aims to increase the quota for Backward Classes from 23 percent to 42 percent. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to join the demonstration organized by Backward Classes associations from Telangana.
In addition to Rahul Gandhi, various senior Congress leaders and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy are also anticipated to take part in the protest.
Telangana aims to become the first state in India to implement reservations based on a caste survey, following the passage of the Bill to raise the quota for Backward Classes in government jobs, educational institutions, and local body elections.
The state is now the third in India, after Karnataka and Bihar, to conduct a caste survey to determine population figures by caste.
The new reservation Bill proposes a 42 percent quota for Backward Classes, 18 percent for Scheduled Castes, and 10 percent for Scheduled Tribes, increasing from the current 29 percent, 15 percent, and 6 percent, respectively.
With this move, the Congress-led government in Telangana aims to push the current 50 percent ceiling on reservations, set by the Supreme Court, to 70 percent, which will require approval from the Union government.
Following the Bill’s passage, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting a meeting to discuss the issue. He also sought a gathering with representatives from Congress, BJP, BRS, CPI, and AIMIM to ensure support from the Union government.
Upon the Bill’s passage, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi praised it as “revolutionary” and reaffirmed the Congress party’s commitment to conducting a nationwide caste census. He stated that the Telangana government has utilized scientific caste count data to uphold the rights of Backward Classes, emphasizing that similar initiatives are necessary across the country. He shared the sentiment on X, asserting that a caste census “will definitely happen in India.” He is expected to participate in today’s protest at Jantar Mantar.