Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 19 : Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Revanath Reddy and Congress party of indulging in "minority appeasement."
The state chief minister Reddy had on the last day of the election campaign stated that Congress would discuss Muslim reservations in Maharashtra after forming the government.
Reacting to this, Union Minister Reddy said that Congress' promise to provide reservations for Muslims was a "betrayal" of Babasaheb Ambedkar's vision adding that the move not only promotes communal division but also jeopardises reservations meant for the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
"Minority Appeasement politics at its worst! The Congress Party's promise to dole out reservations for Muslims is a blatant betrayal of Babasaheb Ambedkar's vision and the principles enshrined in our Constitution. The move not only fans communal division but also puts in danger the reservations for the needy and deserving SC, ST and OBCs. BJP will never let this happen. We are committed to safeguarding the integrity of Babasaheb's Constitution. People of Maharashtra beware of this regressive Religion-based Reservation," Kishan Reddy said.
Revanth Reddy had earlier stated that it was Congress' responsibility to do justice to those who are in need, adding that they implemented four per cent Muslim reservations in Telangana.
"After forming the government (in Maharashtra), we will discuss it (Muslim reservations). The four per cent reservation has already been implemented in Telangana, we did five per cent but since it led to a breach of the 50 per cent barrier, the Supreme Court ordered to decrease that. In Telangana, we had a teacher recruitment of 11,000 of which 720 Muslims were recruited under the reservation. Those who are poor and those who are in need, it's Congress' responsibility to do justice to them," chief minister Reddy told ANI.