AICC Secretary and former MLA Sampath Kumar accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing with the sentiments of the Madiga community and the categorisation of reservations.
He said the reservation issue is failing due to the conspiracy of some leaders during the election season and it was not fair for MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga to use the constitutional rights of Madigas for his political benefit.
Speaking to reporters here, he said all the commissions instituted so far for the categorisation of SCs were during the Congress rule, including the Usha Mehra Commission of 2005; the BJP did nothing in the past 10 years. Mr. Krishna Madiga himself had agreed on this on several platforms.
Mr. Sampath said the BRS government in the past 10 years, too, discriminated against the Madiga community. It was Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, then an opposition MLA, who had raised his voice along with him in the Assembly on the same issue.
He said the community was given a lot of respect in the Congress, and Mr. Sarve Satyanarayana was also made the Union Minister by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Under Mr. Revanth’s leadership, the party continues to give importance to the community in the State.
Sampath meets Mallu Ravi
Earlier in the day, Congress senior vice-president Mallu Ravi met Mr. Sampath Kumar at his residence and sought his support in the Nagarkurnool Parliament constituency in the elections. Mr. Sampath was also an aspirant.
Later, Mr. Sampath said he would work for Mr. Mallu Ravi as he was the official Congress candidate. He said he was not offended with the party denying ticket to him and said he would work for the party.
