Kavitha announces July 17 rail roko demanding 42% BC reservations

Hyderabad: BRS MLC and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha on Monday called for a state-wide rail roko on July 17, pressing the central government to approve pending bills on reservations for Backward Classes. She said the protest would involve coordination with leaders from various BC associations.

Speaking at a BC roundtable meeting held in Medak, organised by Telangana Jagruthi and the United Progressive Forum, Kavitha said the agitation would show the Centre that Telangana BCs will not stay silent. “This rail roko will make the impact reach Delhi,” she said. She warned that no election should take place without ensuring 42% reservations for BCs.

She accused the Congress of deliberately preventing the implementation of the 42% quota and urged BC students and women to actively take part in the protest. Telangana Jagruthi, she said, would continue its fight to ensure the reservation demand is met.

Kavitha credited the pressure from Telangana Jagruthi and UPF for the state government introducing three reservation bills in the Assembly. She highlighted that many BC communities still lacked basic political representation, including at the level of ward members and sarpanches, and said the condition of BC women in politics was even worse. She called for a sub-quota within the women’s reservation for BCs, adding that the movement was not about political mileage but about asserting social and human rights.

She said Jagruthi had raised the issue at the right time, which led to the three BC bills reaching the Assembly, and now a similar push was needed for central approval. “When 56% of the population is demanding rights, that too comes under human rights,” she said.

Criticising the state Congress, Kavitha said sending the bills to Delhi was not enough and accused the government of stepping back from further responsibility. She also targeted Medak BJP MP Raghunandan Rao for remaining silent on the issue. “Why hasn’t he spoken even once about the BC bills? Everyone should question him,” she said.

She demanded that the Congress-led state government publicly release the caste census data at the gram panchayat level. Kavitha further alleged that some BC leaders in Medak were threatened to stop them from attending the roundtable, which, she said, only reflected insecurity among those opposing the movement.