New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday claimed that there was pressure from the Union government on President Droupadi Murmu not to give an appointment to the Congress leaders who are demanding Presidential assent for two Bills passed by the state legislature to provide 42 per cent reservation to backward classes.

Revanth Reddy, who was leading a dharna by the party at Jantar Mantar to demand Presidential assent for the Bills, told media persons that he thinks the President was being put under pressure.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the President two days ago. “I think they are pressurising the President not to give an appointment to Telangana people,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the entire state Cabinet, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and OBC leaders from all nooks and corners of Telangana were in Delhi to demand the approval for BC reservation Bills.

Terming PM Modi “anti-OBC”, Revanth Reddy remarked that it’s a fight between pro-OBC and anti-OBC forces.

“If the Prime Minister accepts the demand for 42 per cent BC reservation, it’s fine, else, we will defeat him in the next elections and make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister to get 42 per cent BC reservation,” he said.

He said that as promised by Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress, after coming to power in Telangana, conducted a caste survey and based on this, drafted and passed two Bills in the Assembly to enhance BC reservation to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies.

“The Governor sent the two Bills to the President for her assent, but even after four months, there is no response from the President. Hence, we decided to fight from the ‘sadak’ (streets) to ‘sansad’ (Parliament),” he said.

Revanth Reddy said the Congress MPs were also raising the issue in the Parliament, and it is being supported by the INDIA bloc members, but there is no response from the government.

“The Chief Minister, the entire Cabinet and MPs sought an appointment with the President, but there is no reply. This is unfortunate,” he said.

“We are hoping we will get the appointment. If Modi does not respond in Parliament, we will not come to Delhi. Those who come to Telangana will have to give a reply. We will wipe out the BJP from Telangana and send them to Delhi,” he said.

He dismissed the claim by BJP leaders that Muslims were covered under the BC reservation Bills. Stating that the Bills were meant only for reservation to BCs, he advised Central ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to read the Bills.

“These are cheap tactics to deny justice to BCs by using the name of Muslims. The BCs are educated, and they will teach a lesson to the BJP,” he said.

Revanth Reddy also dared the BJP to scrap Muslim reservation in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

–IANS

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