Telangana caste survey: BJP opposes inclusion of Muslims among BCs, says Kishan

Union Minister, who is also the State BJP chief, says his party is opposed to the survey's identification of 'Hindu BCs' and 'Muslim BCs'

Hyderabad/ New Delhi: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposes the inclusion of Muslims among backward classes in the recent caste survey done by the Congress government in Telangana. Reddy, president of BJP in Telangana, said inclusion of Muslims in the BC category ‘hurts’ the interests of backward classes.

He took exception to the caste survey counting backward sections among Muslims in the BC category, saying his party was opposed to the survey’s identification of ‘Hindu BCs’ and ‘Muslim BCs’.

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The Union Minister told reporters in New Delhi that the caste survey did not cover even 50 per cent of the houses. Telangana provides reservations to backward Muslims in the backward classes category.

Meanwhile, State Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy defended the survey saying more than one lakh personnel were involved in the exercise that was conducted for 50 days.

He sought to know why BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and other party leaders did not participate in the survey. Rao, his son and BRS working president K T Rama Rao does not have the moral right to talk about the welfare of backward classes, Venkat Reddy told reporters here.

Meanwhile, Rama Rao held a meeting with the BC leaders of BRS here and discussed plans to take up protests for implementation of the promises made to BCs by the ruling Congress.

Backward classes other than Muslim minorities at 46.25 per cent form the largest chunk of the total 3.70 crore population of Telangana, according to the caste survey conducted in the State.

The population of BCs is followed by the Scheduled Castes (17.43), Scheduled Tribes (10.45), backward classes among Muslims (10.08) and Other Castes (13.31), OCs among Muslims (2.48) in terms of the percentage of the population. The demographic data of the caste survey was announced by the State government recently.

The Congress government’s comprehensive socio-economic, employment, political, and caste survey, an election promise of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, was conducted for 50 days from November 6, 2024.