ne of the main allegations levelled by the main Opposition parties, notably the Congress, in the 2014 General Elections was that if the BJP voted to power under Modi’s leadership, it would massacre Dalits and minorities. Today, hopefully, that has been reduced to a reservation. As a result, this claim, like others, will disappear tomorrow. At the grassroots level, there are countless obvious examples demonstrating that the Modi-led BJP administration has done nothing but good for Dalits, OBCs, and minorities during the last decade. This includes actions such as electing the first Scheduled Tribe head of the country and prohibiting triple talaq. As a result, there is no question that the public will respond to Congress through elections. In short, the current Congress’s politics can be seen as a ‘brightness of a dying fire’.
Today, the Congress and the I.N.D.I. Alliance’s principal allegation is that the third Modi Government will abolish the constitutionally guaranteed Dalit and OBC reservations. They are employing this technique against the BJP to conceal the I.N.D.I. Alliance’s and Congress’ ambitions to include Muslims in OBC reservations. However, the Prime Minister exposed the I.N.D.I. Alliance’s strategies proved to be a severe defeat for them during all phases of the elections. This was evident when the Calcutta High Court overturned decisions issued by the Mamata Banerjee Government between March 2010 and May 2012 that provided for Muslim reservation in government positions across the state on religious grounds. In doing so, the Mamata administration granted reservations to 75 of the 77 Muslim groups in the OBC category. However, this is not the first attempt at religious reservations. In an order dated July 11, 2004, Andhra Pradesh’s newly elected Congress administration provided a 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in government positions and educational institutions in the state. This pronouncement sparked violent protests around the country. In a press statement issued on July 15, then-BJP National President M Venkaiah Naidu stated, “This is a retrograde move which, if not immediately reversed, will sow the poisonous seed for the growth of a new communal movement inspired by the Two-Nation Theory that led to the tragic partition of our Motherland in 1947”. Similarly, J. Jayalalithaa, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, reacted strongly to the AP Government’s decision saying, “Muslims are not the only minorities in the country. There are Christians and other minorities also. If they also demand religion-based reservations, where will we go?”. However, ten days after the announcement, the Andhra Pradesh High Court halted the state government’s decision in response to a public interest litigation.
In 2021, the Modi Govt allocated 27 per cent of seats for OBCs and 10 per cent for economically weaker sections of the general category in undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental programmes
However, the Congress continues to pursue similar ideas to this day. The most recent example is Congress ruling Karnataka. Is there any truth to the Congress’ continuous charges against the BJP and reservations? We need to say no. Furthermore, throughout the previous 10 years, the Modi Government has implemented several policies and programmes to empower the disadvantaged sections of society. However, sixty years of Congress rule has weakened the backward classes. In Modi’s ten years in power, they have been liberated to better conditions. Therefore, people do not accept the Congress’ allegations against Modi and the BJP. Since India’s independence, caste-based reservation has been a prominent topic of contention. Instead of denying this right, guaranteed by Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution, the Modi Government has expanded its scope. Aside from that, the NDA administration has implemented numerous social welfare schemes for the underprivileged, including SC, ST, and OBC. In 2021, the Modi administration allocated 27 per cent of seats for OBCs and 10 per cent for economically weaker sections of the general category in undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental programmes. More than 5,500 students have benefited, and a long-held wish has been fulfilled.
Another important effort was to make the OBC Commission a constitutional entity. The Modi Government has acknowledged the long-standing demand to grant constitutional status to the OBC Commission, established in 1993. Besides, the government has introduced a 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in Sainik schools and Kendriya Navodaya Vidyalayas. Similarly, The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) too has always been in favour of reservation. The Akhil Bharatiya Prathinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the supreme decision-making body of the RSS, passed a resolution on the issue in 1981. It stated that “RSS considers it necessary that reservation be continued for the present with a view to bringing all these brethren of ours who have remained backward in educational, social and economic fields over the centuries at par with the rest of society”. The BJP has taken the same stance on the subject. The party has stated that the current reservation will be maintained. The Prime Minister also denied the Congress’ charges.
The Home Minister, Amit Shah, stated that “The BJP will neither remove reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs nor will it allow anyone to do so”. So, it is apparent that the RSS and the BJP are of one mind when it comes to reservation. However, the Congress continues to spread misleading misinformation. Its true goal is not to benefit the weakest sections but to divide Hindu society by caste to win votes.
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