Amaravati: Politics in Andhra Pradesh once again took a heated turn on Saturday after Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government issued guidelines for implementing 10 percent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the state. Following Jagan’s decision, five percent quota earlier given to Kapus during Naidu’s regime will be automatically cancelled.
Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Kapu community leaders in the ruling YSRCP are angry over Reddy’s decision. Several TDP Kapu leaders made serious remarks on CM Jagan for cheating their community by removing the five percent reservation. Kapu community leaders in the ruling YSRCP are also unhappy with the government's decision.
Showcasing his anger, Reddy met YSRCP's public representatives from the Kapu community today and said that TDP was trying to use the issue of Kapu reservation for its selfish politics.
Commenting on the latest developments, Jagan said, "The stand of YSRCP on Kapu reservation has not changed and is still in line with what is stated in the manifesto”. Party leaders Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, Ambati Rambabu and Kurasala Kannababu have been asked to look into the report of Manjunath commission on Kapu reservation.
Targeting TDP, Jagan said, “Chandrababu Naidu sent a letter to the central government in 2017, asking them to classify Kapus as backward community. He later wrote another letter, giving 5 percent reservation to the Kapus in Economically Backward Class (EBC) category. The Centre then wrote a letter to TDP on April 4th, seeking clarity on whether the State takes back the decision to include Kapus in the backward list. Chandrababu did not reply to that letter. Ten percent of EBC reservation is given to the poorest on poverty basis. It is not possible to give it on caste basis. Knowingly, TDP had given 5 percent reservation to Kapus on caste basis against the central government guidelines”.
“There are cases in courts on inclusion of Kapus in the backward category and also on the five percent quotas given to Kapus in the EBC. If the 5 percent reservation given to Kapus in the EBC quota is valid, why didn’t Naidu’s government implement it in the medical and PG seats allocation this year? Who is responsible if future of the students is at stake? Wouldn't it be unfair for them to limit it to five percent when the population of Kapus is more than 50 percent according to the OBC census,” added Jagan.
The Chief Minister reminded the Kapu leaders that central government has amended the constitution and provided 10 percent reservation to the poor under EBCs. “Centre had issued the guidelines for EBCs within a week of announcing their reservation but Naidu constituted a committee to submit the Guidelines on May 6th, after the elections were held,” claimed Jagan.
Reddy also claimed that Chandrababu has killed the hopes given to the Kapus. “As we have said from the beginning, we are not against Kapu reservation, provided that the rights and interests of other backward classes are not disturbed. In this budget, we have allocated Rs 2,000 crore for Kapus, whereas the Naidu government spent Rs 1,340 crore in the last five years,” added Jagan Mohan Reddy.
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