Ponnam Prabhakar Calls for Nationwide Fight for BC Rights

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has called for a nationwide united movement to secure the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), stressing the need for reliable caste-based population data to ensure fair representation.

Speaking at a national OBC conference in Hyderabad on “Central Government Policy Decisions on OBC Census – Immediate Responsibilities and Future Course of Action”, Prabhakar urged the Centre to include a separate OBC column in the 2027 Census and conduct a nationwide caste census.

He said a scientific assessment of the OBC population was essential to determine their share in society and help ensure representation in political, educational and employment sectors based on population.

The minister also called on the Centre to reconsider the 50 per cent reservation ceiling, arguing that the issue needed to be examined in the context of the actual population of backward communities.

Prabhakar said Telangana had already completed its caste survey and that the state government had forwarded the report to the Centre. He said comprehensive data on the population and socio-economic conditions of BC communities across the country would provide a stronger basis for framing policies and determining their representation.

Recalling his earlier role as a Member of Parliament, Prabhakar said he had raised issues concerning BCs through the OBC Forum in Parliament. He said that, as a minister in Telangana, efforts were now being made to bring together leaders from the Congress and other political parties to work collectively on issues concerning backward communities.

The minister stressed that a broader and united platform was necessary to take forward the demand for social justice and greater representation for BCs across the country.

The conference at Hotel Tourism Plaza in Begumpet was attended by AICC secretary Sachin Sawant, government adviser V. Hanumantha Rao, national-level OBC organisation leaders, academics, representatives and BC leaders from various states.

Prabhakar also thanked Jajula Srinivas and his associates for their efforts to bring BC representatives from across the country onto a common platform.