"BJP, Congress Only Care About Votes": BRS Leader K Kavitha To NDTV

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress over the long-pending OBC reservation bill. Speaking to NDTV, Ms Kavitha said that the bill passed by the Telangana Assembly is being deliberately delayed, and questioned the intent of the two parties.

Ms Kavitha's remarks come amid growing pressure on both parties to take a clear stand on caste census and OBC reservations - a politically sensitive issue expected to dominate discussions in the run-up to key state elections and the next parliamentary session.

"We have come to Delhi to highlight an important issue before the country," Ms Kavitha said, referring to the bill.

"Rahul Gandhi came to Telangana and promised that the bill would be passed. It was indeed passed by the Assembly, but it is now stuck with the President. The Congress, which claimed to stand for the OBC community, has now forgotten its love for them," she told NDTV.

The BRS leader urged Mr Gandhi to intervene directly in the issue. "We still don't have full details of the caste census. I request Rahul Gandhi to immediately speak to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and ensure that a government order is issued. The people are waiting," she said.

Ms Kavitha also targeted the BJP, accusing the central government of holding back the bill.

"Every bill that goes to the President also goes through the central government. So why is this bill still pending? The BJP must also pave the way and stop blocking what rightfully belongs to the OBC community," she said.

According to her, the BJP and Congress are only concerned about "electoral benefits".

Mentioning that regional parties have always been more responsive to people's needs, Ms Kavitha said, "Regional parties are the ones that truly work for the benefit of the people. That's what the Samajwadi Party did in the past, what the DMK is doing now, and what other regional parties continue to do...BJP and Congress only think about votes, not about the rights of the people."

The BRS leader also announced that her party will intensify its agitation in the coming days. "We have announced a Rail Roko on July 17. It will be a massive protest. We will continue until the OBC reservation is granted to the people," she said.