The election-eve reservations for economically backward upper castes have kicked up a big controversy. AP CM Chandrababu Naidu welcomed this but at the same time warned the Modi government against disturbing the existing reservations being extended along social backwardness lines to the SCs, STs and backward classes. If the BJP tries to touch the existing reservations, it will not be taken silently.

Naidu said their party would welcome reservations if there were brought in with good intentions but there should be no political effort to take advantage. He asked party leaders to step up their demands for including the Valmiki caste in the ST list and also that the Central government take steps for taking forward the Kapu reservations.

CBN hit back at Opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy, saying that it was because of unprecedented irregularities committed by Jagan that many IAS officers and others went to the prison and faced untold problems. Naidu said the TDP leaders should set aside their group differences and work unitedly to defeat Jagan and the BJP who are working with a secret understanding to damage the TDP.

G.Ravikiran