Telangana Assembly: KTR slams Congress on Panchayati Raj Act Amendment, demands commitment for BC reservations

BRS working president KT Rama Rao urged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to take the 42% BC reservation bill to Delhi for approval. He criticized Congress for misleading BCs, highlighted BRS’s efforts, and called for strong, committed action on reservations.

Hyderabad: Demanding Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to demonstrate his commitment to the implementation of 42 per cent reservations for the BCs by taking the issue to the Centre in Delhi and securing its approval, BRS working president and MLA KT Rama Rao on Sunday wanted the government to seek an all-party meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi to discuss the BC reservation bill. Speaking on the proposed amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act in the Assembly, he assured that the BRS would extend full support to the government on this issue.

“If you have the courage, go to Delhi like K. Chandrashekhar Rao did for Telangana statehood and fight for the BC bill. If needed, stage an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar,” Rama Rao insisted.

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He accused the Congress of attempting to deceive the BC community by introducing a legislation on an issue outside the State’s jurisdiction. Pointing out that the Congress was aware of the legal limitations, he said it was still pushing the bill to create a false narrative.

“The Congress is stuck on the 42% reservation issue. They are trying to mislead the BCs by bringing a law on a matter not within their purview,” he said, highlighting the BRS’s commitment to BC welfare, noting that Chandrashekhar Rao was the first leader to demand a dedicated OBC Welfare Ministry at the national level in 2004. He also recalled Chandrashekhar Rao’s efforts in 2002 to formulate a BC policy for the party and the Telangana Assembly’s resolution under BRS rule for a caste census, sent to the Centre well before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue.

Questioning the Congress’s sincerity, Rama Rao asked why Rahul Gandhi had not addressed the 42% BC reservation issue in Parliament despite advocating for proportional representation. He also criticized the Chief Minister for spending Telangana’s public funds on advertisements in Bihar featuring his photographs, even before the BC reservation bill was approved in Telangana. He pointed out discrepancies in the Congress’s approach and questioned the difference between the Panchayati Raj Amendment Bill passed in March 2025 and the current proposal.

“If the earlier bill didn’t get presidential approval, how will this one? The government must ensure laws are drafted without loopholes,” he said.

Rama Rao also refuted Congress’s claims about limitations in the previous BRS government’s Panchayati Raj and Municipal Acts, clarifying that no ceiling on reservations was ever imposed.

“There is no truth in the Congress’s propaganda. The laws we made had no such restrictions,” he asserted, advising Revanth Reddy to change his approach and tone.
“If you ask for appointments in Delhi, they might dismiss you. Show some wisdom and commitment,” he said, urging the government to move beyond mere declarations and demonstrate genuine dedication to securing BC reservations.