Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed strong support for the Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing states to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SC) for quota purposes. He announced that Telangana would be the first state to implement this decision.
In a statement made in the Assembly, CM Revanth Reddy praised the Supreme Court for its “historic judgment” and thanked the Constitutional Bench. He highlighted that six out of seven judges supported the states’ right to categorize SCs.
CM Reddy explained that after presenting robust arguments, Telangana received a favorable ruling for Madigas and other sub-castes seeking categorization. He committed that Telangana would take the lead in implementing this decision and, if needed, would issue an Ordinance to ensure the new quotas are included in recent job notifications.
He recalled the long struggle of Madigas and sub-castes for SC categorization, noting that they had been advocating for this change for 27 years. CM Reddy also mentioned past efforts, including his and Congress MLA SA Sampath Kumar’s suspension from the Assembly when they sought to debate the issue.
Criticizing the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for failing to follow through on promises to advocate for the cause in Delhi, CM Reddy highlighted the efforts of the current Congress administration, led by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. He detailed how legal experts were engaged to support the cause, resulting in the Supreme Court’s favorable ruling.
Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha described the ruling as fulfilling a 50-year-old dream, calling it a historic day and expressing emotional relief. He emphasized that the categorization was aimed at addressing imbalances rather than targeting any specific group.
BJP floor leader Maheshwar Reddy also praised the Supreme Court’s decision, calling it a historic achievement and acknowledging PM Modi’s support for the long-standing struggle for SC categorization, which he had endorsed in a public meeting in Hyderabad last year.
AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and CPI member K. Sambasiva Rao also welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgment, recognizing it as a significant step forward.
