Revanth Reddy Suggests Telangana Caste Census Be Called 'RARE' Model

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has dubbed a letter from All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader Sonia Gandhi, where she apologised for being unable to attend his presentation on Telangana's Backward Classes (BC) caste census to Congress Members of Parliament in Delhi, as a "letter of appreciation" equivalent to a "lifetime achievement award, a Nobel Prize, and an Oscar." 

He said Sonia Gandhi's acknowledgment of the state's BC caste census efforts was the "highest honour of his political career". Mr Reddy credited Rahul Gandhi for the initiative behind the caste census and urged the Congress party to advocate for 42 per cent BC reservations at the national level.

During his presentation, Revanth Reddy also proposed a unique branding for Telangana's social justice initiatives, including the caste census, as the "RARE model". This acronym presumably stands for "Rahul-Revanth Model".

Revanth Reddy presented the Telangana caste survey as a comprehensive socio-economic, educational, and political survey, highlighting that it involved the collection of 88 crore pages of self-declared data, deeming it "100 per cent foolproof".

The Chief Minister asserted that the RARE model is not merely a Telangana initiative but a potential template for the nation's future in social justice. He also indicated plans for further enhancing reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) based on the findings of the state's socio-economic caste census.

Mr Reddy said February 4, the date the survey began last year, would henceforth be observed as "Social Justice Day" in Telangana.

Revanth Reddy's address also included a strong criticism of the BJP, accusing them of opposing caste census initiatives and claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "legally converted OBC" whose caste was included in the category only after he became Gujarat Chief Minister. He said he would stage a 'dharna' at Jantar Mantar if the Centre did not approve the 42 per cent BC quota bills.