In a yet another master stroke to woo Christians of Hyderabad before the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday introduced a resolution in the assembly requesting the Centre to take steps for a Constitutional amendment to include Dalit Christians into the Scheduled Castes.
The inclusion of Dalits converted into Christianity in the SC list has been a long pending demand and YSR knows that it is the best way to garner their votes. Hyderabad and Secunderabad accounts for a high percentage of Dalit Christians. At present, Dalits who get converted into Christianity are included under Backward Classes-C category; as such, they are forced to forego economic and social benefits being extended to SCs.
The Opposition parties had no other option but to support the Chief Minister’s move, because, they, too, have to appease the Dalit Christians. However, Bharatiya Janata Party and Lok Satta headed by former IAS officer Jayaprakash Narayan opposed the resolution.
BJP floor leader G Kishan Reddy opposed the move, dubbing it as vote bank politics. This, he warned, would encourage religious conversions. He accused the Congress government of turning the state into a “laboratory for vote bank politics” by extending benefits on the basis of religion.
Jayaprakash Narayan advised the government to withdraw the resolution as it would not stand in the Court, given the Supreme Court judgement capping reservations.
MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi demanded that the resolution should include Dalit Muslims as well.
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