Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during a rally for Lok Sabha elections, at Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam district.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh): YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday said that while TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu likes to associate with BJP which wants to do away with the four percent reservation for backward class Muslims in Andhra Pradesh, his government would maintain the quota.
The ruling party chief made this observation during a public meeting at Kurnool in the eponymous district, as part of his statewide election campaign for the simultaneous election to the 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state on May 13.
“Chandrababu Naidu likes to continue with BJP, which wants to remove four percent Muslim reservation, but on the other hand, he comes up with a new drama to seek minority votes,” said Reddy, addressing a public meeting.
The chief minister asserted that the reservation for Muslims will continue under a YSRCP government.
He challenged the opposition leader to talk about the issue in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and questioned TDP's alliance with the saffron party, which has promised to do away with the reservation provided to the minority community.
Reddy explained that the reservation for Muslims is given only to backward class people from the community, and not upper caste Muslims such as Pathans and Syeds. “People have to note that every religion has BC (backward class) and an OC (open category) category citizens. It is unacceptable and morally wrong to view minorities through a discriminatory lens. These reservations will persist at all costs,” he asserted.
Further, Reddy said that the YSRCP would back the Muslim community, supporting their dignity and honour, whether it is with regard to reservation, National Register of Citizens (NRC), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) or any other sentiment.
Later, the YSRCP chief addressed another public meeting at Kalyandurgam in Anantapur district and alleged that Naidu did not come up with a single scheme for the poor in his entire life.
Reddy emphasised that every time the opposition leader had power, there was no improvement in the lives of poor people.
Similarly, at a public meeting in Rajampeta, Annamayya district, the CM said that though people were expecting the announcement of a special category status for Andhra Pradesh, they faced only disappointment. He alleged that the NDA alliance partners remained silent to the state’s needs and instead resorted to throwing mud at the ruling party.
Further, Reddy said that Modi had earlier criticised Naidu as a corrupt person but is now praising him, only because of his affiliation with the NDA alliance -- which constitutes the TDP, BJP and Janasena in the state.
Noting that the NDA had nothing of benefit to offer farmers, women, elderly, children and other social groups, he mocked the opposition alliance asking what kind of a 'double-engine government' it could deliver when it had failed to fulfil promises.