Sat Feb 08 01:15:22 UTC 2025: ## Telangana Minister Defends Caste Census Amidst Political Criticism

**Karimnagar, Telangana –** Telangana’s Minister for Backward Classes Welfare and Transport, Ponnam Prabhakar, staunchly defended the recently concluded caste census, dismissing criticism from the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the BJP as politically motivated. Speaking to the media on Friday, Prabhakar asserted that the census was conducted transparently and meticulously by approximately 100,000 government employees and enumerators over 50 days, covering 1.12 crore households.

The Minister highlighted that the census revealed Backward Classes (BCs) constitute 56% of Telangana’s population. He argued this comprehensive data will be instrumental in formulating effective policies for the welfare and empowerment of BCs and other marginalized communities. He directly criticized BRS leaders, including K. Chandrasekhar Rao and K.T. Rama Rao, for their non-participation and subsequent criticism, stating they lacked the moral authority to condemn a survey aimed at uplifting the marginalized.

Prabhakar also accused the BJP of employing divisive politics and harboring a feudal mindset detrimental to the interests of weaker sections of society. He cited the Congress party’s ‘Kamareddy BC Declaration’ and Rahul Gandhi’s pledge of “Jitni abadi, utna haq” (as many people, as many rights) as further support for the census’s importance. The Minister emphasized the census’s crucial role in creating a roadmap for the welfare and empowerment of marginalized communities in Telangana.

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