'Rail Roko' protest in T'gana over OBC quota: Kavitha

The demand for 42% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is all set to rock Telangana ahead of local body elections as Telangana Jagruthi president and BRS MLC K Kavitha on Tuesday announced a 'Rail Roko' protest on July 17, demanding presidential assent for two bills passed by the assembly in March.

Kavitha attacked the Congress-led Telangana government and said that if the government's intentions were clean, it would have introduced the reservation of backward classes (BC) through a government order. The Telangana Legislative Assembly passed two bills on March 17 to increase BC reservation from 23% to 42% in educational institutions, employment and local bodies. The bills have been pending for presidential assent.

Kavitha said, "We see that Rahul Gandhi talks about OBCs. He promised during polls that Congress would provide 42% reservation (to OBCs) in local body polls. The bill was passed in the assembly, and is now pending with President. What stops him from asking his party's government to introduce reservation through a government order."