Demand for mantri post to Madigas gets shriller in Warangal

Warangal: Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) founder president Manda Krishna Madiga said that the composition of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's Cabinet is very much against the thoughts of B R Ambedkar, the author of Indian Constitution.

Addressing a gathering at Kakatiya Degree College grounds here on Sunday during his Maha Deeksha, a protest demanding rightful share of political empowerment to SC, ST, BC and OCs, he said that people need to gird up their loins to launch yet another agitation against the autocratic rule of KCR.

"It is apparent that the State government was acting against the interests of the downtrodden and socially backward classes. My concern was against the denial of Cabinet berths to the legislators of Madiga community. There is no Madiga in KCR's Cabinet," Manda Krishna said.

Even though the Sri Krishna Committee and subsequent comprehensive household survey states that 90 per cent of Telangana population is in distress, KCR did not take any initiative measure to empower them, he said, terming it as against the idea of B R Ambedkar.

The separate Telangana happened only because of the Sakala Janula Samme in which people from all walks of life participated. Thus, all sections of people should get their due in the political empowerment, he said. Manda Krishna said that KCR gave major chunk of Cabinet posts to upper castes while ignoring the SC and ST communities.

On the other hand, the Andhra Pradesh government headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy designated five Ministers as Deputy Chief Ministers drawing MLAs from all castes. The MRPS has decided to organise similar protest in Hyderabad in the second week of October, demanding Minister posts for Madiga community, he said.

TPCC working president and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar, AICC secretary A Sampath Kumar and leaders of Left Parties expressed their solidarity with Manda Krishna at the Maha Deeksha. Speaking on the occasion, Ponnama Prabahakar said Congress would support and take part in the protests launched by the MRPS against the KCR government.

"It is time for the Madiga community legislators of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to stand up and demand their party chief KCR for their due share in the Cabinet. The Madiga community MLAs need to support Manda Krishna who is fighting for their community," Prabhakar said.

Warangal District Congress Committee N Rajender Reddy, senior BJP leader and former MLA Marthineni Dharma Rao, BJP Rural district president Edla Ashok Reddy, CPI district secretary Mekala Ravi, former MLA Potharaju Saraiah, TPCC Secretary Meesala Prakash, former MLC Ramulu Naik, Embadi Ravinder, Namindla Srinivas, Kuchana ravali and Mahajana Socialist Party national spokesperson T Pradeep Goud were among others present. The meeting went on even though a sharp shower forced the attendees to cover themselves with chairs.