Won’t accept Muslims as BCs as it is against Constitution: Bandi Sanjay

Union Minister opposes Muslim inclusion in BC list, supports Telangana's reservation increase to 42% after excluding Muslims.

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay said the Centre will not accept inclusion of Muslims in the list of Backward Classes and the Telangana government’s efforts would be defeated as it was against the Constitution.

Mr. Sanjay, however, offered his party’s support at the Centre to the State government’s efforts to enhance reservations to BCs to 42% after removing Muslims from the list.

The Minister opined that Muslims will eat into the opportunities of the BCs and politically the BCs among the Hindus would suffer as the Muslims tend to vote collectively to their candidates based on religious feelings.

He said Muslims were already receiving several benefits in the country being minorities and also under schemes meant for the economically weaker sections. The Centre can never accept inclusion of Muslims in BC list. He made these comments after a review meeting on ‘Enemy properties’ in Hyderabad on Saturday.

At a separate press conference in Nalgonda, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy lashed out at Mr. Revanth Reddy for questioning Modi’s BC status and reminded that the caste was included in the BC list in Gujarat in 1994 when the Congress government was in power. He said such irresponsible comments coming from a Chief Minister was unfortunate and Mr. Reddy should be cautious while making such baseless allegations against the Prime Minister.

Mr. Reddy said some prominent BC castes in Telangana were included in the BC list only after 1970 in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. “Would Mr. Revanth Reddy also claim that all those communities too are converted BCs,” he asked.