'Insult to Telangana': Revanth Reddy accuses Modi govt of 'preventing' meeting with President on reservation

'After we requested the appointment, Modi and Shah met the president. We don't know what they discussed, but our party and Cabinet ministers have concluded that they interfered to ensure we don't get an appointment,' Reddy said.

New Delhi: The Telangana government on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of interfering to prevent a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on Bills proposing 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes in education, employment, and local body elections in the southern state.

Speaking after the entire Telangana Cabinet and party representatives waited in Delhi for three days for a presidential appointment, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy termed the situation "deplorable, painful and an insult to the people of Telangana".

"We sought an appointment with the president to request early approval of two Bills and an ordinance seeking implementation of 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes.

"After we requested the appointment, Modi and Shah met the president. We don't know what they discussed, but our party and Cabinet ministers have concluded that they interfered to ensure we don't get an appointment," Reddy told mediapersons.

The Telangana government has sent two Bills to President Murmu for approval -- the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025, and The Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services Under the State) Bill, 2025, which were passed by the state legislature to increase reservation for Backward Classes to 42 per cent across education, employment, and local bodies.

The Cabinet also approved a draft ordinance amending the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, to enforce this reservation in local bodies by temporarily overriding the 50 per cent reservation ceiling set by previous court rulings, crucial for the upcoming local elections to be conducted by September 30.

Reddy said the Bills were sent to the president by the governor.

The state government has been waiting for four months for presidential approval, with the Telangana High Court directing that local body elections be held by September 30.

"We are ready to go to polls if the president passes the Bills. We had promised to give 42 per cent reservation (to Backward Classes)," the chief minister said.

Reddy also alleged that the BJP has been "conspiring to take away the rights of the weaker sections", drawing parallels to the party's historical stance on reservations.

"The BJP obstructed the Mandal Commission and brought the Kamandal Commission. When Congress wanted to give reservation in IIT and IIM, BJP opposed it. Today also we are trying to increase the OBC reservation quota, but in the name of Muslims it has been stalled," he said.

The chief minister pointed out that Muslims receive reservations in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, questioning why similar provisions are being opposed in Telangana.

The Telangana government has exhausted parliamentary procedures, with an adjournment motion being rejected. The MPs joined the dharna in the national capital on August 6 in support of the reservation demand.

Targeting the opposition BRS, Reddy said, "BRS as BJP's B team is giving statements against us. But we will win. They can stop us for 1-2 days, but those who try to stop the Congress, we will see their end."