Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday called for making Congress leader Rahul Gandhi prime minister, saying this would help ensure the welfare of backward classes and lead the country towards progress, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Reddy, speaking at an event marking the 174th birth anniversary of Panduga Sayanna Mudiraj, who fought for the rights of backward classes, urged people to support Gandhi in the next Lok Sabha elections.
He said members of the Nehru-Gandhi family could have taken the prime minister's post after Rajiv Gandhi's death but instead backed Manmohan Singh, P V Narasimha Rao and I K Gujral for the position.
"Rahul Gandhi should become prime minister if justice is to be done to the backward classes. They could have become prime minister long ago had they wanted it. After Rajiv Gandhi's death, Congress came to power many times," Reddy said, according to PTI.
He said the present situation was crucial and members of the family should take responsibility for leading the country forward. He urged the gathering to set aside other issues during the Lok Sabha elections and make a positive decision.
Reddy said the Congress government in Telangana was giving top priority to the political empowerment of all backward-class communities. He announced that a Cabinet sub-committee would be formed to study the inclusion of the Mudiraj community in the BC-A category. The community is currently listed under the BC-D category in the state.
The matter would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting, and the government would seek advice from officials and legal experts, he said. Reddy also suggested that Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar speak to other backward communities, including the Gangaputras, who are already in the BC-A category, and reassure them about sharing reservation benefits.
Referring to the caste survey conducted by his government, Reddy said its data had helped every community raise its voice more strongly.
He said former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N T Rama Rao had introduced the scheme of providing rice at Rs 2 per kilogram, while the Congress government was now supplying fine-quality rice free of cost to 3.48 crore people through the Public Distribution System.
Reddy said his government was continuing the policies followed in undivided Andhra Pradesh by chief ministers N Chandrababu Naidu and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and by K Chandrasekhar Rao after the formation of Telangana.
Recalling the contributions of prominent Telangana figures, including Doddi Komuraiah and Panduga Sayanna, Reddy said their statues would be installed at Tank Bund on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake.
Reddy said Sayanna had supported marginalised communities when feudal lords encroached on the lands of poor people during the Nizam's rule. When Sayanna was arrested by the Nizam's police, the then queen of the Wanaparthy Samsthanam paid a substantial sum to secure his release, he added.
Reddy said Sayanna was killed unjustly and that, even a century after his death, songs praising him continued to be sung during agricultural work such as sowing.
Reddy's address focused on support for Rahul Gandhi, the political empowerment of backward classes, the proposed review of the Mudiraj community's classification and the Telangana government's welfare measures, while also recalling Sayanna's work for marginalised people.
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