Congress reacts against PM, not us, but BJP desires an end to Reservation SC-ST-OBC
Modi On Reservation: Congress, which was trying its best to refute the statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the intense Lok Sabha election campaign, has now hit back at BJP and alleged that the ruling party at the Center is not only against SC-ST and OBC reservation but also She also wants to end it. Congress termed PM's allegations of ending SC-ST-OBC reservation as false propaganda.
The Congress party, which has been making a lot of effort to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statements during the heated Lok Sabha election campaign, has now retaliated against the BJP, accusing it of wanting to abolish SC-ST and OBC reservations in addition to being against them.
Terming the PM's allegations against Congress of ending SC-ST-OBC reservation as 'false propaganda', the party's communication general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the truth is that Congress has made the provision of reservation for these classes. Jairam claimed that BJP and PM Modi are talking about four hundred seats in the elections so that they can end SC-ST and OBC reservations by changing the Constitution.
Stating PM Modi's allegations against Congress of snatching the quota, Jairam Ramesh said that the Prime Minister is repeatedly spreading false propaganda that we are against reservation for SC-ST and OBC and wants to snatch it. This statement of the PM is wrong and the truth is that reservation in education and employment has been possible since 1950 when there were Congress governments and Prime Ministers at the Centre.
A provision in the Constitution for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe reservation, Congress leaders like Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role and Congress contributed to this.
Jayaram said that similarly in 1994, when PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, for the first time 27 percent reservation was given for OBCs in central government jobs. Whereas in 2006, during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leading the Congress-UPA government, 27 percent reservation was given for OBCs in higher educational institutions. It is clear from these facts that reservation in education and employment has been possible for SC-ST and OBC since 1950 when there were Congress governments and Prime Ministers.
Attacking BJP over OBC reservation, Jairam Ramesh said that a few months ago, when the Women's Reservation Bill was being debated in Parliament, Congress had demanded reservation for OBC women also. But the Modi government at the Center did not accept it and the PM did not say anything about it. Due to the BJP's stance, no provision was made for OBCs in women's reservation, whereas this is the result of Congress' guarantee that reservation is available to SC-STs and OBCs in both education and jobs.
Jairam also alleged that the BJP's intention behind demanding more than four hundred seats is to end the existing reservation of SC-ST and OBC and that is why the Modi government is not conducting census and caste census.
