Andhra Pradesh: Public hearing on Kapus in BC quota disrupted

GUNTUR: Backward Class (BC) organisations disrupted a public hearing programme of the AP BC Commission protesting against the inclusion of Kapu and other castes in the category. The AP BC Commission, led by chairman K.L. Manjunath, held a public hearing in Revenu Kalyana Mandapam here on Thursday on the inclusion of Kapu community in BC reservation list.

BC organisations together staged a protest raising slogans like ‘Manjunath Commission go back’, which halted the hearing, but the police controlled the situation by arresting the BC leaders.

Guntur Thurpu Kapu Vidya Vignana Abhivruddhi Sangham leaders Ankaravarapu Prasad and others demanded shifting of their caste from BC ‘B’ to ‘A’ category and a separate corporation for their caste.

BC Kulala Aikya Vedika leaders Kesana Sankar Rao, Y. Koteswara Rao, Akhila Bharata Yadava Sangham leader G. Kranthi Kumar and others protested against the inclusion of Kapu, Ontari, Balija, Brahmana and other castes in the BC list.

BC Samkshema Sangham leader A. Prasad Yadav alleged that the TD government violated the norms to appoint BC Com-mission. Kapu community leaders objected to remarks of Adapa Kasiviswandham, which led to serious arguments and further commotion betw-een Kapus and BC activists. The police, led by ASP J. Bhaskar Rao, rushed into the hall and took the leaders into custody.

Highlighting the community’s backwardness, Kapu leaders demanded BC reservation, which was promised by the Telugu Desam during election campaign.
They claimed that the financial status of Kapu community is very weak.

Meanwhile, BC community leaders opposed the proposal of providing BC reservation to Kapu community, claiming Kapus belong to developed sect of the society in various sectors. They said many leaders of Kapus were elected as legislators, worked as ministers and got higher posts, but BCs were barred from the same.