Hyderabad, Aug 1 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court order that the state government can sub-classify Scheduled Castes for quota and declared that his state would be the first to implement it.
Making a statement in the Assembly, CM Revanth Reddy said, “I heartily welcome the order of the Supreme Court. I thank the Constitutional Bench for the historic judgment.”
CM Reddy said that six out of seven judges allowed states to opt for categorisation.
CM Reddy said that after the strong arguments put forward by the Telangana government, the Supreme Court gave a favourable verdict for Madigas and sub-castes that have been fighting for categorisation for decades.
“Telangana will be the first state to implement SC categorisation. We take this responsibility of implementing it,” he said.
CM Reddy said if necessary, the government would issue an Ordinance to implement the Supreme Court order in job notifications issued recently.
CM Reddy noted that lakhs of youth from Madigas and sub-castes had been fighting for SC categorisation into ABCD sub-categories.
“For 27 years they fought in united Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” he said and recalled that he and then Congress MLA, SA Sampath Kumar, were suspended from the Assembly by the previous government when they had moved an adjournment for debate on the issue.
CM Reddy said the previous government of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had promised to take an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister but betrayed Madigas by not taking the team.
CM Reddy said after the Congress came to power, on the suggestion of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, he along with former Deputy Chief Minister and present Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and others met the Advocate General and sent him to Delhi to speak to legal experts and appoint a senior advocate.
“As a result of the strong arguments put forward by the Telangana government, the Supreme Court has given the judgment in favour of Madigas and sub-castes,” CM Reddy said.
Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said the Supreme Court order fulfilled a 50-year-old dream.
“This is a historic day. It was a long-cherished dream. I have become a bit emotional today,” he said.
He stated that categorisation was not against any section but only to remove the imbalance.
BJP floor leader Maheshwar Reddy termed the Supreme Court order as ‘historic’. He said PM Modi fulfilled his word by backing the 70-year-old struggle.
He recalled that the PM had declared his support for SC categorisation at a public meeting in Hyderabad last year.
AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and CPI member K Sambasiva Rao also welcomed the Supreme Court judgment.