BJP, TRS govts lying on raising ST quota: Shabbir

Hyderabad: Former Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused both TRS government and the BJP government at the Centre for misleading people on the issue of increasing the quota for Scheduled Tribes in the State.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, Shabbir Ali strongly condemned the statement of Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Bishweswar Tudu for stating that the Centre did not receive any proposal for enhancement of ST reservations in the State. He said that the Telangana Assembly and Council unanimously passed a Bill for enhancing the ST quota from existing 6 percent to 10 percent on April 16, 2016. Another Bill to enhance the Muslim quota from 4 percent to 12 percent was also passed on the same day. Both the Bills were later sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the President of India's ascent.

"As the Leader of Opposition in Council, I participated in the debate and the Congress party supported the Bill. The Union Minister should be dismissed for misleading the Parliament and the country," he demanded.

Shabbir Ali said the passing of Bill to enhance the ST quota was only a half-truth. "TRS did not follow up with the Centre after passing the Bill in the Legislature. It did not even respond to the letters sent by the Union Home Ministry seeking clarifications on the enhancement of ST Quota," he claimed.

Alleging that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao never wanted to enhance the ST quota, Shabbir Ali showed a clip of debate in the Legislative Council wherein KCR admitted that the Bill being passed in the House would not stand legal scrutiny and it would be sent back.