BJP Leader Questions Rahul Gandhi’s Telangana Visit Over Caste Survey
Hyderabad: BJP state general secretary Kasam Venkateswarlu has raised concerns about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Telangana. He questioned the purpose of Gandhi’s meeting, which aimed to gather opinions on the caste enumeration survey.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, alongside OBC Morcha state president Anand Goud and SC Morcha state general secretary Kranti Kiran, Venkateswarlu called the meeting a “political stunt.” He said it was intended to mislead the people of Telangana, especially during election periods in nearby states.
Venkateswarlu argued that if Rahul Gandhi truly cared about the Backward Classes (BCs) of Telangana, he should follow the Udaipur declaration. This declaration calls for allocating two assembly seats per parliamentary constituency.
He also criticized the current survey, comparing it to a previous family survey initiated by the BRS government. He claimed that the earlier survey only benefited the family of KCR, the former Chief Minister, and that the collected data was never made public.
Venkateswarlu further questioned the Congress government’s intentions. He was particularly concerned about the collection of sensitive information such as Aadhaar, PAN, mobile numbers, and bank details. He suggested that the government could misuse this information for blackmail or other ulterior motives.
He also raised issues about questions in the survey related to businesses, real estate, and industrialists. He expressed fears that the survey could lead to the repossession of assigned lands by the government.
He highlighted that SCs, STs, and BCs were being asked about their reservation benefits in the survey. Venkateswarlu warned that this could potentially result in the cancellation of their existing reservation rights. He pointed out that the Supreme Court has advised against invading personal privacy, yet the survey continues to ask for personal information, which raises concerns about data security and confidentiality.
Venkateswarlu also criticized the Congress government for promising 42% reservation for BCs in local body elections based on population figures, without completing the caste enumeration survey before the February elections.
He accused the previous BRS government of betraying BCs by holding elections with only 17% reservation and alleged that the current Congress government, under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is following the same path.
Finally, Venkateswarlu called on the Congress government to address the public’s suspicions and concerns about the caste enumeration survey. He warned that if any legal issues arise from the survey, the Congress party and the Chief Minister would be held responsible.
