TDP demands Jagan apologise to SCs, STs, BCs, minorities

Amaravati: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday demanded an unconditional apology from Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to SCs, STs, BCs and minorities before launching his bus yatra.

TDP leaders said that Jagan Mohan Reddy, who did injustice to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and minorities, is now undertaking bus yatra in the name of social empowerment.

The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is launching the ‘Samajika Sadhikara Bus Yatra’ to highlight the party’s empowerment of SCs, STs, BCs, and minorities.

A pamphlet titled "A feudalist Jagan cutting the throats of the poor" was released by TDP state unit President, Kinjerapu Atchen Naidu along with Nakka Anandababu, Varla Ramaiah, Simireddy Chandramohan Reddy, M.A. Shariff, Budha Venkanna and others

The TDP leaders asked what the YSRCP leaders would tell people during the yatra. They alleged that Jagan Reddy did not allow these sections to enjoy their Constitutional rights.

The welfare schemes that have been launched by the Centre did not reach these sections as the state government failed to pay its share, the TDP leaders alleged.

The Chief Minister has taken the BCs for a ride by simply announcing the launching of 54 corporations, they said and felt that Jagan should undertake the bus yatra only after proving that he has extended at least some kind of financial help even to a single BC.

Observing that TDP supremo and former Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, who is known as the father of welfare schemes implemented various schemes from 2014 to 2019, the TDP leaders demanded Jagan to answer as to why he discontinued various welfare schemes implemented by him.

The TDP during its tenure implemented 30 welfare schemes for BCs, 27 for SCs, 29 for STs and 11 for minorities, they said and alleged that Jagan cancelled all these schemes for no reason. They said Naidu had increased the reservation for BCs in local bodies from 20 per cent to 34 per cent and asked why Jagan reduced the reservation percentage to 24 immediately after coming to power.

"The Chief Minister should explain to the people how justice is done to the sections with the posts that he claims to have given to the persons from these sections," the TDP leaders asked.

No Minister from the BC community has raised voice against Jagan though the whole state is totally handed over to the Reddy community, they observed.

Before taking part in the bus yatra, the SC, ST, BC and minority leaders besides the ministers from the YSRCP should introspect, the TDP senior leaders maintained. “How Mr Jagan, who has suppressed the rights of these sections, ordered for the attacks on them besides killing some of the leaders from these communities, can be a saver of the SCs, STs, BCs and minorities,” they asked.