After TDP, caste trouble has erupted in Bharatiya Janata party as well. The saffron party is also getting polarized on the Kapu issue. While senior leaders Somu Virraju and Kanna Lakshminarayna are for the inclusion of Kapus among the BC, other BC leaders are opposed to the idea. Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Paka Satyanarayan, party vice president P Kapileswaraiah openly opposed the government moves to include the Kapus in BC and the movement of Mudragada Padmanabham to get BC status to his Kapu communtity. According to Satyanarayana and Kapileswariah this move will water down the reservation for BCs. In their view the idea of reservation for Kapus is against the spirit of constitution.
Somu Virraju has extended open support to the fast unto death of Mudragada Padmanabham and his wife. While another Kapu leader Kanna Lakshminarayan participated in Kapu Ikhya Garjana last Sunday. He is also made accused for Tuni violence along with Mudragada Padmanabham.
” Government’s assurance to Kapus that they would be included in the BC category is hasty and unsound decision. Kapus are not socially backward. Only those communities which are not only economically but also socially, educationally and politically under- represented are alone eligible for reservations ,” says Satyanarayana blaming Mudragada Padmanabham and state government intelligence department for the Tuni violence.
Satyanarayana says both Kaka Kelelkar and Mandal commissions did not identify the Kapus as backward caste community. He said the GO issued for inclusion of Kapus in the BC list was challenged successfully in the courts of law. He further said that even the reservations to the Muslims were successfully challenged.
“Of the 175 MLAs in present Andhra Pradesh, 26 are from the Kapu community and five ministers are Kapus. The Kapus are land-holding communities and not socially backward. While the BCs have caste-based employment, the Kapus do not have such a system.What is per cent of BC MLAs in the Assembly and in the cabinet?,” he said.
BJP vice president Kapileswaraiah said in any stretch of imagination Kapus don’t qualify for the BC status. ” Half of the BC castes are still illiterate and have no access the decent life. Half of the communities have not entered any elected body leave alone Assembly. It is unfortunate that Kapus want to sit among the poorest of poor castes and eat into their benefits. Kapu are a dominant force in politics, industry, business, bureaucracy, movies, government and agriculture. Instead of becoming themselves BCs, Kapus should think of helping these poor BC communities advance socially, educationally,” Kapileswaraiah said.
He was of the opinion that BJP needs to take a stand on the issue. ” So far BJP has not taken a stand on the issue. There is need for a debate in the party on Kapu reservations,” Kapileswaraiah said.
KE Prabhakar,TDP former minister and brother of deputy chief minister KE Krishnamurty yesterday strongly opposed Kapus demand and said he would lead a fight against the move to categorize Kapus as BC.
