BJP resorting to opportunistic politics on reservations for STs: Satyavathi Rathod

Hyderabad: Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod on Wednesday accused the BJP of resorting to opportunistic politics on the 10 per cent increase in reservations for STs in the State. “If the reservations issue was within the purview of the State, why is the Centre then failing to announce it officially?” she asked, referring to a […]

Hyderabad: Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod on Wednesday accused the BJP of resorting to opportunistic politics on the 10 per cent increase in reservations for STs in the State.

“If the reservations issue was within the purview of the State, why is the Centre then failing to announce it officially?” she asked, referring to a statement made by union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy that the States had the right to increase reservations.

Speaking after interacting with the newly appointed members of the All India Banjara Seva Sangham (AIBSS), she said if Kishan Reddy was committed to the welfare of STs, then he should use his good offices to make an official announcement from the Centre that States can increase reservations.

She asked the committee members to strive to create awareness among people about various welfare schemes introduced by the State government for the benefit of banjaras in the State. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced filling of 80,039 jobs recently and if reservations were not increased according to population proportion, the STs would suffer a lot.

The TRS government, she said, passed a resolution pertaining to 10 per cent increase in reservations in the State Assembly and forwarded it to the Central government for consideration, but the Centre was politicising it for the sake of votes.

Stating that both the national parties – Congress and BJP – continued to use tribals for their vote bank politics, the Minister said the community will teach a fitting lesson to the BJP which was not only resorting to opportunistic politics but also adopting divide and rule policy.

AIBSS should play a crucial role in exposing the policies adopted by the BJP, she added.