Rahul Gandhi to Join Protest at Jantar Mantar in Support of Telangana’s Reservation Bill
A protest will take place at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Wednesday, advocating for the implementation of the Telangana Legislative Assembly’s recent Reservation Bill. The Bill, which proposes an increase in the quota for Backward Classes (BCs) from 23 percent to 42 percent, has gained significant attention across the country.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to participate in the protest, which has been organized by various Backward Classes associations from Telangana. Other senior Congress leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, are also slated to join the demonstration.
The Telangana Legislative Assembly recently passed a Bill to implement reservations based on a caste survey conducted within the state. If implemented, Telangana would become the first state in India to do so, with the Bill proposing a 42 percent reservation for BCs, an 18 percent quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), and 10 percent for Scheduled Tribes (STs). This represents an increase from the existing reservation levels of 29 percent, 15 percent, and 6 percent, respectively.
The Bill is part of a broader effort to push the ceiling on reservations, which the Supreme Court has capped at 50 percent, to a proposed 70 percent, a move that will require approval from the Union government.
Telangana has joined the ranks of Karnataka and Bihar as the third state in India to conduct a caste-based survey to determine the caste-wise population data. Following the passage of the Bill, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting an appointment to discuss the matter and seeking a meeting with leaders from various political parties, including Congress, BJP, BRS, CPI, and AIMIM, to ensure Union government support.
Rahul Gandhi, who praised the Reservation Bill as “revolutionary” following its passage, has been a strong advocate for a nationwide caste census. He reiterated Congress’ commitment to conducting such a census and emphasized that the Telangana government’s use of scientific caste data was crucial to ensuring Backward Classes received their due rights. Gandhi expressed his belief that a nationwide caste census would “definitely happen in India.”
The protest at Jantar Mantar is expected to draw significant attention to the issue, with political leaders and activists calling for broader support for the Telangana government’s initiative.
