BJP did not conduct 2021 census to avoid increasing quotas: Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre did not conduct census in 2021 as a possibility of increasing reservations would have arisen in view of Congress' demand for conducting caste census in the country.

The BJP has earlier dismissed Revanth Reddy's allegations that it will abolish reservations.

Addressing an election rally in Adilabad (ST) LS constituency, Revanth Reddy, who is also the president of Congress in Telangana, said the census was not carried out in 2021 though it was supposed to be done.

"After Narendra Modi took responsibility as Prime Minister and Amit Shah as Union Home Minister, (they) conspired not to conduct a census in 2021. The reason for that is, Congress said caste census of backward classes should also be done along with census. A demand that a census alone is not enough, but caste-wise census of backward classes should also be done, has come," he said.

"If a caste census is done, Congress had implemented 27 per cent BC quotas, an inevitable situation of increasing the reservations for those whose population is more than 50 per cent would have come. Similarly, the situation of increasing reservations for SC, STs proportionate to population would have come," he said.

BJP did not conduct a census in 2021 as the inevitable situation of increasing reservations in the country would have arisen if a caste census was done, he claimed.

BJP wanted to implement its secret agenda of abolishing reservations, Revanth Reddy alleged. BJP wants to scrap SC, ST and OBC reservations with a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha if it gets 400 seats in the present polls, he claimed.

While Congress says it will increase quotas after conducting OBC caste census, the BJP is conspiring to abolish reservations, he alleged.

When he was raising these issues, Amit Shah got a case registered against him by the Delhi police, Revanth Reddy said. The case mentioned by him is a reference to Delhi Police taking up a probe in connection with Amit Shah's "doctored" video being circulated on social media.

Though he was asked to join the probe on May 1, Revanth Reddy's lawyer had appeared before the IO in Delhi.

"Will your Revanth Anna be scared of the cases booked by Narendra Modi in Delhi? If you stand by me, you know that I can take on even Delhi Sultans," he said.