HYDERABAD: BC leaders protest at Basheer Bagh over quota issue

HYDERABAD: Leaders of Backward Class (BC) associations staged a protest at the Basheer Bagh junction on Friday, accusing political parties of plotting to block the state government’s move to grant 42% reservations for BCs in local body elections.

Protests erupted across Telangana over the past two days after the High Court stayed Government Order (G.O.) 9, which provided 42% quota for BCs in local bodies. The leaders said the stay had deprived them of long-awaited political representation and alleged that “behind-the-scenes conspiracies” were at work to prevent BC empowerment.

BC leaders said those who could not digest the idea of 42% reservation for communities that constitute more than 56% of the population were responsible for the legal challenge. Several groups held demonstrations in districts including Kamareddy, warning of intensified agitation if the government failed to act swiftly.

BC quota issue sparks statewide protests

In line with the Kamareddy BC Declaration, the Congress government had earlier constituted a special commission to determine the exact BC population scientifically. The commission reported that BCs make up 57.6% of the state’s population. Based on its recommendations, the assembly passed two bills unanimously to provide 42% reservation for BCs in education, employment and local body elections.

The government also amended Section 285(A) of the Panchayat Raj Act through an ordinance. However, as the bills remained pending with the President, the government issued G.O. 9 to implement the quota through administrative order. The State Election Commission subsequently released the election schedule, triggering celebrations among BC groups who hailed it as a historic step.

But petitioners approached the High Court, arguing that the quota exceeded the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court and that the state had not conducted the mandated ‘triple test’. Following the stay, the election process was halted, throwing the political future of BC representation into uncertainty.

BC leaders accuse parties of double standards

Leaders alleged that some politicians from major parties were backing the petitions filed in court. “All parties supported the bills in the assembly but secretly conspired to ensure a stay,” said a BC association leader. They criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not pressuring the Governor or President to clear the bills, and accused both the BJP and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of taking a passive stance because the reservation plan originated from the Congress government.

Some BC intellectuals and student leaders also criticised the Congress government for procedural lapses. They pointed out that the government issued G.O. 9 barely a month after sending the ordinance to the Governor, which gave petitioners an opportunity to challenge the constitutional validity of the order rather than the reservation policy itself.

With political tensions rising, BC associations announced a fresh round of agitations — a statewide protest in Hyderabad on Saturday, followed by a national highway blockade on October 13 and a state-wide bandh on October 14. Meanwhile, the cabinet is likely to meet next week to decide whether to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court or contest the case further in the High Court.