HYDERABAD: With the Telangana government’s decision to enhance reservation for Backward Classes to 42 per cent challenged in the Supreme Court, the state government has initiated steps to put forth strong arguments.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Vakiti Srihari, who rushed to Delhi on Sunday night, held talks with senior lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Siddharth Dave on Monday.
Singhvi, who is also a Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, and Dave are likely to appear on behalf of the state government in the Supreme Court and defend the move to provide 42 per cent reservations to Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies.
Government lawyer Shravan Kumar and Congress BC Cell chairman Anil Jaihind also attended the meeting.
The Deputy CM and ministers explained to the lawyers that the government issued the GO for 42 per cent reservations for BCs in local bodies by duly following the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.
They also told the lawyers that the GO was issued after conducting the caste survey, obtaining the empirical data of the BCs, appointment of a dedicated BC Commission and expert group’s analysis of the caste survey report.
The Supreme Court is set to take up for hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Government Order.