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Mint
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
KTR tears into Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy over caste survey: ‘Newfound zeal rings hollow'
On 17 July, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha will lead a 'Rail Roko' protest in Telangana demanding 42% reservation for OBCs. Though the Telangana Assembly passed bills in March to increase BC reservation from 23% to 42%, Union government approval is still pending. K Kavitha, on 8 July, urged the Union government to act quickly, warning that the protest could continue indefinitely if demands are not met. She also claimed that the caste survey done in Congress-ruled state was "flawed". BRS MLA KT Rama Rao, in an interview with LiveMint reiterated his sister's statements and hit out at the caste survey conducted by the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana. . The SEEEPC data is unscientific, inaccurate, and incomplete. The complete survey was not tabled in the Assembly and when we brought it up, it was diverted to some cheap comments, the real discussion never happened. The detailed survey is not available on the government portal. They spent more than Rs150 crores and 50 days and there are wide gaps, many unanswered questions. The government themselves agreed that they managed to collect 96 percent data. Even if we go by their numbers, at least 16 lakh people were excluded. The 42 percent BC numbers that Revanth Reddy now speaks about is inadequate to say the least. There is no concrete answer on BC subcategorization. What is BC reservation when there is no subcategorization? How will you determine the actual reservation percentage to each caste. What is the percentage of reservation from this 42 percent to Mudirajus or Munnurukapus or Gouds or the many other castes? Without a clear BC subcategorization, tomorrow you will create an animosity between various BC castes. Hence, I say this government flounders in a quagmire of incompetence. After BRS came to power, on 2014 August 19, entire Telangana stayed home to voluntarily participate in the Samagra Kutumbha Survey. We finished the entire data collection process in one single day. All the policy decisions were based on the data from this survey. Let me say this clearly, for Congress, this is nothing but a pure political requirement for their electoral existence. Rahul Gandhi's sanctimonious posturing as a champion of social justice, while his party's actions betray the BCs through a census riddled with errors speaks volumes of their intent. For a leader who remained silent on a national caste census during Congress's decades in power, his newfound zeal rings hollow. Despite exploiting the 'Kamareddy BC Declaration' for electoral mileage, the Congress government has utterly failed the very community it solemnly pledged to uplift. Nearly two years have elapsed, yet not a single commitment to the Backward Classes has been fulfilled. Last week, in a cabinet meeting they hastily announced that there will be a 42 percent BC reservation. Anyone with the basic legal knowledge, can see through their lies. There is not a single discussion so far held by the Congress government to have a solid plan in place so that this 42 percent BC reservation does not get caught in a legal quagmire. What are they doing about the 1992 Indra Sawhney Supreme Court judgement. This hastily scripted ordinance pushed through under the cloak of urgency is nothing but another deception. If Rahul Gandhi genuinely stands for social justice, let him ensure his party honours its own blueprint. If Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is sincere, let him lead an indefinite protest in Delhi to secure constitutional sanction. If the Congress continues to renege on its BC Declaration, it will face a fierce democratic reckoning when the local body elections arrive. The BRS does not operate in the realm of tokenism. We will ensure that Congress delivers the promised 42 percent reservation. This regime suffers from a chronic deficit of originality. Over the past 20 months, What the people are witnessing is not innovation, but a shallow imitation. Most initiatives paraded as 'new' are nothing more than diluted rebrands of programmes conceived, funded, and executed during BRS's decade of governance. Congress ministers are busy cutting ribbons on our legacy – such as flyovers built under SRDP and shamelessly claiming credit for what they did not create. More troubling is the systematic erasure of Telangana's cultural identity. The proposal to remove Kakatiya Kala Thoranam and Charminar from the state emblem, and the audacious replacement of Telangana Thalli with a Congress Thalli, is a calculated attempt to distort our history. Let me address this critique head-on. The notion that BRS prioritised Rythu Bandhu at the expense of long-term investments is not only factually incorrect, it is intellectually dishonest. We infused ₹ 73,000 crore directly into farmers' accounts across 11 crop seasons without bureaucratic hurdles, without discrimination. To suggest that this came at the cost of education, healthcare, or infrastructure is to ignore the transformative footprint BRS left across sectors during our tenure. In education, we expanded residential schools, launched Mana Ooru–Mana Badi, revamped thousands of government schools, established new Intermediate and Degree colleges. In healthcare, Telangana became the only state in India with a government medical college in every district. We built Basthi Dawakhanas for urban primary care, upgraded district hospitals, and introduced KCR Kits to reduce maternal and infant mortality. In Hyderabad, we initiated construction of three TIMS super-specialty hospitals in strategic directions of the city designed to decentralize advanced medical care for the urban poor. In Warangal, we envisioned and executed the state's largest government hospital: a super-specialty institution equipped with modular operation theatres and infection-controlled infrastructure, a corporate-level facility in public hands. On the infrastructure front, from Mission Bhagiratha to Kaleshwaram Project, from rural roads to urban flyovers, Telangana witnessed an infrastructure renaissance unmatched by any newly formed state. This transformative wave also encompassed the construction of collectorate complexes, the iconic new State Secretariat Building and globally acclaimed innovation hubs like T-Hub and T-Works, each a testament to Telangana's commitment to administrative excellence and entrepreneurial ambition. Rythu Bandhu was one pillar of a multi-sectoral development strategy that resulted in increased cultivated area and the rise in paddy production to 3 crore tonnes. Under KCR garu's leadership, Telangana witnessed the highest per capita income in the country and a 238% surge in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) since 2014, with the state contributing 5% to the national GDP. We didn't just support farmers , we built world-class irrigation infrastructure, expanded IT exports from ₹ 56,000 crore to ₹ 2.41 lakh crore, and positioned Hyderabad as a global tech hub. We ensured universal access to potable water across rural Telangana, an achievement unparalleled in scale and execution. For far too long, decades of successive central and state administrations, helmed by the Congress and BJP respectively, have reduced marginalised communities to mere electoral commodities. Their vote bank politics left most of the population in cycles of poverty even after seven and a half decades after our nation's independence. It was the BRS government, under the visionary leadership of KCR garu, that dared to break this cycle of systemic neglect with the path-breaking Dalit Bandhu scheme. This pioneering initiative provided a substantial financial grant of ₹ 10 lakh directly to Scheduled Caste families, specifically designed to empower an entire generation and propel them towards enduring economic independence, thereby fostering a cascading positive impact on subsequent generations. In stark contrast, the current Congress government, after 20 months at the helm, has not only failed to deliver on its grandiloquent promise of ₹ 12 lakh under its rechristened scheme for the same communities, not a single beneficiary has received the pledged amount, but has also perversely obstructed the ongoing implementation of Dalit Bandhu. Let me reiterate: our politics is not about symbolism, it is about systemic change. And marginalised communities will remain at the heart of our vision for Telangana's next chapter. We will ensure representation across all tiers, from gram panchayats to urban local bodies, guaranteeing that Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, a decisive voice. At the same time, we will take measures for systematic economic upliftment, ensuring that caste-based occupational clusters are not left behind in the digital economy. Our focus will be on entrepreneurship incubation, access to capital, and market linkages... especially for youth and women from these marginalised sections. Let there be no ambiguity, Telangana is not merely our political commitment, it is our emotional inheritance. It's our cultural spine and our existential anchor. The BRS remains unequivocally tethered to the aspirations of the people and the destiny of our state. We are vigorously rebuilding our organizational apparatus and mobilizing cadre across constituencies to expose the Congress regime's hollow promises and chronic ineptitude. We are spearheading issue-based campaigns rooted in lived realities. The BRS will never allow the soul of Telangana to be bartered for fleeting optics or Delhi-scripted narratives. Congress with all their fake promises and white lies came to power in Telangana. Today, the government here is neither autonomous, nor dedicated. They are abusing the state to fulfil their national ambition of making Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi speaks aggressively about bulldozer-raaj in BJP states but is silent about the bulldozer destruction in Telangana by Hydra. The entire world took a stance on University of Hyderabad's midnight green murder. Rahul Gandhi never uttered a word. The people of Telangana have not forgotten the 420 promises, fake guarantees and hollow declarations made during the Assembly and Parliament campaigns. Nor have they forgiven the parade of Congress heavyweights who descended upon Telangana for photo ops and vanished the moment ballots were cast. Their absence is not just physical, it is moral. It is shameful that the Congress regime in Telangana has turned governance into a marketplace of commissions and kickbacks. For the first time in the history, Contractors staged a dharna in the secretariate saying they cannot pay 20 percent commission for bill clearances. Such shame! While the Prime Minister and Home Minister repeatedly visit Telangana and thunder that the state has become an 'ATM for Congress' alleging the collection of an RR tax, one must ask the obvious: If the central government is indeed aware of rampant corruption, why hasn't it ordered a probe through national investigative agencies? The truth is glaring - Revanth Reddy and the BJP are hand in glove. They lack the strength to take on the BRS independently and have resorted to an unholy backroom alliance to silence the only credible and courageous voice of Telangana, the BRS. Two and a half decades ago, the BRS was born not in the pursuit of political power, but as a resolute people's movement. People of Telangana will always be the heart and soul of this party. We are and we will be wholly dedicated to uphold the wishes of the people, their intrinsic rights and to demand the cherished pride of our land. We were never mere political convenience. Whether steering the state from the helm of governance or now, in our role as a vigilant opposition, our unwavering commitment to the aspirations of four crore Telangana citizens remains absolute and eternal. So, it is not a transition but a mere transfer of power, which is nothing but the crux of any democracy. We were born out people's needs, we were given a change to shape the future of the state, not once but twice. And today we sit in the opposition, fighting for rights and identity of people of Telangana. The core will remain, how we will do it has slightly changed. After two successful terms, what happened during 2023 Assembly elections is not an earth- shattering defeat. Yes, we lost…but by a mere 1.9% margin. Call it administrative fatigue or may be mild anti-incumbency…but not an outright rejection of BRS. One very pertinent aspect we realized during the internal surveys was we somehow failed to communicate our work efficiently. Over the last few years, elections are not being fought on real development, they are driven by political narratives peddled on WhatsApp. When these narratives are pushed repeatedly, even the most unrealistic piece of information becomes a gospel. Let me give you a small but a very significant example. There was a story that was pushed on social media platforms that KCR garu's official residence Pragathi Bhavan had bulletproof bathrooms. We laughed it off, did not even think of countering it. But this story developed a life of its own. Today deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka lives in the same residence. I dare them to ask if Bhatti's official residence has bullet-proofed washrooms now. Another lore is about KCR garu's thousands of acres sprawling 'farmhouse'! They went on to call him a 'farmhouse CM'. KCR garu who is a farmer at heart loves to continue his farming activities, he in his ten years of tenure never put the state's development and progress on the backburner. Today, CM Revanth Reddy who drilled these fake narratives lives in a palatial palace in Jubilee Hills. He does all his meetings at his house. Can we call him the 'Palace CM'? KCR garu's image was tarnished time and again in social media. We were too busy in administration that we never bothered about what was getting circulated in social media. When we brought it up with KCR garu, he simply asked us to focus on work, he believed everything was noise. Yes, there were minor administrative gaps. But mostly it was fake news that projected us to look like anti-people. We are working on all the feedback that we are getting now. Today, in less than two years since we lost power, there is a undeniable support for KCR garu and BRS. People openly talk about how Congress cheated them with fake promises of two-wheelers, one tula gold and what not.
Hans India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BRS leaders, rank and file likely to skip Kavitha's ‘Rail Roko'
Hyderabad: The BRS leaders are likely to stay away from the 'Rail Roko' call given by the party's MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha demanding providing 42 per cent reservations to the BCs in the local body elections, which is supposed to be held on July 17. The BRS leaders have been staying away from the programs of the party and this was evident during the dharna call given by the Telangana Jagruthi president protesting against notices being served to party president K Chandrashekar Rao. There were neither BRS flags nor leaders of the party in the protest program which was held on June 3. Only the Telangana Jagruti leaders were present in the protest program. Now, the big date is approaching for the big call given by the party's MLC. It is less than a week for the scheduled program of 'Rail Roko' and there is no clue whether the party leaders would be part of the program. When asked, senior leaders were tight lipped and said that a decision was not taken in this regard. However, a senior leader of the party said that the party may not participate in the Rail Roko program. It is a call given by one MLC of the party and not by the party leadership. If this was a call by the leadership, all the party leaders would have actively participated but they may not attend unless there are specific directions from the top leadership. Demanding the Central government to approve the bills passed by Telangana Assembly for providing 42 per cent reservations to Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies, education and employment, Kavitha has given the call for Rail Roko. She has met several leaders including BJP R Krishnaiah seeking their support to the Rail Roko. 'This Rail Roko will not just be a protest, but a declaration of Telangana BCs' strength to the rulers in Delhi. We will take All BC organizations and leaders together in this protest', MLC Kavitha said, calling upon the people to postpone their travel in Telangana. The BRS MLC had criticized the Congress-led state government, alleging it was conspiring to conduct local body elections without implementing the proposed 42 per cent reservations for BCs. 'We will not allow elections without these reservations. The Congress government has merely sent the bills to the Centre and washed its hands off the responsibility,' she said.
Mint
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
'Rail Roko' protest in Telangana on July 17 for OBC reservation – ‘not a single train will move,' says K Kavitha
Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavitha has announced that a 'Rail Roko' protest will be held in Telangana on July 17. The protest will demand 42 per cent reservation for OBCs, bills for which were passed by the state assembly earlier this year. Kavitha, who is the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, warned that 'not a single train will move' during the rail roko protest. At a press conference on July 8, Kavitha cornered the Congress-led Telangana government over the pending clearance for a bill to provide 42 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state. She also claimed that the caste survey done in the state was "flawed". The Telangana Legislative Assembly passed two bills on March 17 to increase BC reservation from 23 per cent to 42 per cent in educational institutions, employment and elections to rural and urban local bodies. The bills – the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in services under the State) Bill 2025 and the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill 2025 -- require the Centre's approval as the proposed BC reservation would exceed the 50 per cent cap on quotas. Kavitha, said a 'Rail Roko' protest will be held in Telangana on July 17 to demand reservation for OBCs. "To make sure that the Union government understands the pain of the OBCs of Telangana, we will stop the trains in the state on July 17... It will only be a one day 'Rail Roko' this time. If our demand is not fulfilled, we will not go back and we can hold an indefinite 'Rail Roko' in future," she said. 'We won't allow even a single train to move.' Kavitha said the Congress government in Telangana can implement reservation in local bodies through an order under Article 243D of the Constitution. Kavitha urged the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the bill is approved. "Now, with honourable prime minister ji, I request him that you are from the OBC community, you should stand with the OBCs of Telangana. Today there is a historic occasion for giving 42 per cent reservation to Telangana OBCs," she said. "The Bill is with the President of India, it should be given assent. The Bill should be given assurance by putting it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, so that reservations will be preserved," she said. The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution includes a list of central and state laws that cannot be challenged in courts. Kavitha said a permanent solution is either an act of Parliament, or an amendment to the Constitution. To make sure that the Union government understands the pain of the OBCs of Telangana, we will stop the trains in the state on July 17... It will only be a one day 'Rail Roko' this time. She also asked Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to tell Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to implement the reservation as promised by his party before the assembly polls. "Today, there is a very serious possibility that the OBC 42 per cent reservation bill can be implemented in Telangana. The local body elections can be held anytime now. So I demand Rahul Gandhi ji to quickly call his chief minister (Revanth Reddy), ask him to issue a government order, and then go for the local body elections because the bill has already been passed in the state," Kavitha told PTI.
Hans India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Rail Roko For 42pc BC Quota: Kavitha's ‘trailer show' on July 17; warns of train services taking a hit
New Delhi: Telangana Jagruthi President Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Centre, stating that not a single train would be allowed to move if it fails to approve the bill granting 42 per cent reservations to Backward Classes (BCs). The BRS leader announced a 'Rail Roko' protest for 17 July, demanding Presidential assent for the BC reservation bill passed by the Telangana Assembly. As an interim measure, she demanded that the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana issue a Government Order (GO) to implement the enhanced reservations in accordance with provisions under Article 243(D) of the Constitution. She questioned why Rahul Gandhi, who carries a copy of the Constitution around the country, was not advising the Telangana Chief Minister to issue such a GO. Speaking at a press conference at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, Kavitha declared: 'We won't allow even a single train to move. Trains from Deccan to Delhi will be stopped. This is just a trailer. If the bill is not approved, we'll go for an indefinite Rail Roko. The 2.5 crore BC population in Telangana will teach the BJP a lesson.' She accused both the BJP and the Congress of betraying the BCs, adding that she would write letters to all political parties seeking support for the implementation of BC reservations. Kavitha alleged that the Congress-led government passed the BC reservation bill in the state assembly and sent it to the President merely to wash its hands of the matter. She also targeted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, claiming that his concern for BCs began only after Congress lost power in 2014. Kavitha pointed out that even Congress-ruled states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh have not yet conducted caste censuses. Kavitha urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who identifies himself as an OBC, to ensure justice for BCs by taking steps for Presidential approval of the Telangana BC reservation bills. She proposed that the Telangana BC bill be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, similar to Tamil Nadu's 69 per cent reservation policy.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Rail Roko' protest in T'gana over OBC quota: Kavitha
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The demand for 42% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is all set to rock Telangana ahead of local body elections as Telangana Jagruthi president and BRS MLC K Kavitha on Tuesday announced a 'Rail Roko' protest on July 17, demanding presidential assent for two bills passed by the assembly in attacked the Congress-led Telangana government and said that if the government's intentions were clean, it would have introduced the reservation of backward classes (BC) through a government order. The Telangana Legislative Assembly passed two bills on March 17 to increase BC reservation from 23% to 42% in educational institutions, employment and local bodies. The bills have been pending for presidential said, "We see that Rahul Gandhi talks about OBCs. He promised during polls that Congress would provide 42% reservation (to OBCs) in local body polls. The bill was passed in the assembly, and is now pending with President. What stops him from asking his party's government to introduce reservation through a government order."
