Tadepalli, March 21: Former minister Adimulapu Suresh has strongly reaffirmed the party’s unwavering commitment to the upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and criticized the current coalition government’s handling of the SC classification issue.
During the tenure of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy as Chief Minister, the YSRCP provided comprehensive support to SCs, from allocating ministerial positions to establishing corporations, treating all sections of the downtrodden communities as equally vital—akin to two eyes. YS Jagan viewed the Mala and Madiga sub-groups within the SC community with equal importance, ensuring no division or discord was sown among them. YSRCP firmly believes that the Supreme Court’s judgment on SC classification should not be exploited for opportunistic politics. The party has consistently urged all stakeholders to refrain from fueling tensions between communities and to focus on unity and justice.
In contrast, Suresh accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and the coalition government of perpetuating the same deceitful tactics Naidu employed in the past to mislead SCs. He alleged that the current administration is deliberately stoking conflict among SC communities to keep the issue unresolved for political gain. The government’s approach has been marked by confusion and inconsistency. For instance, despite the Cabinet reportedly approving a decision, the Assembly opted for a short discussion instead of following proper legislative procedure. Suresh questioned why the government is treating such a critical issue so lightly and failing to enact a law as per established norms.
He highlighted several irregularities in the government’s actions:
- If a law is to be made, why has the Assembly not followed the standard process of drafting, debating, and passing a Bill?
- Why was a short discussion scheduled on the last day of the Assembly session, trivializing a matter of such significance?
- Why has the Rajiv Ranjan Mishra Commission report, reportedly received by the government, not been made public to provide clarity to MLAs, MLCs, and citizens?
- Why is the roster system shrouded in confusion, leaving stakeholders perplexed?
Suresh further criticized the government’s decision to link SC classification to population census data, suggesting that this move indicates a lack of intent to resolve the issue permanently. Instead, it appears designed to reignite disputes among communities, a tactic he attributed to Naidu’s strategy of reaping political benefits from unresolved controversies. He contrasted this with Telangana, where the state government followed due process to enact legislation on a similar issue, questioning why Naidu has not adopted a similar approach in Andhra Pradesh.
The coalition government is acting like it is “cooking over a simmering flame,” keeping the SC classification issue alive as a perpetual source of division rather than solving it sincerely. Suresh emphasized that this ambiguity and apparent drama orchestrated by the government only serve to deepen mistrust and hinder justice for SC communities.
The YSRCP reiterates its call for transparency, sincerity, and a clear legislative resolution to the SC classification matter, urging the government to stop playing political games and work toward the genuine empowerment of marginalized sections of society.
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