Answers must be sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments that there is a need to debate the reservation issue, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Sunday.
“If Bhagwat ji says reservation needs an honest review after a dialogue with all stakeholders, let Narendra Modi and Amit Shah tell us whether they too hold a similar view. We need to ask them for answers,” Mr. Baghel said.
He was attending a function organised by the Sanwidhan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti on the birth anniversary of BP Mandal to felicitate him on his government’s decision to increase reservation for the OBCs and the Scheduled Castesother backward classes from 14% to 27% and Scheduled Caste qouta from 12% to 13%.
Mr. Baghel said reservation alone will not solve all problems but it is a symbolic move towards ensuring that each section of society gets representation according to its strength.
Attacking the Sangh and its stand on cow slaughter, Mr. Baghel said, “Mr. Bhagwat doesn’t discuss cow slaughter in Chhattisgarh, because he is aware of the condition of the cow shelters under the 15-year-long BJP regime and how cows starved to death there.”
Critics claim that the announcement to hike the OBC qouta has been made with an eye on the upcoming municipal polls and especially after Congress’ defeat in the Lok Sabha polls in the State. The Congress won only one of the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the State.
Rejecting any political motive behind the move Chandan Yadav, Secretary-in-charge of Chhattisgarh Congress said, “The Congress government in Chhattisgarh is committed to social justice.”
The State already has 32% reservation for scheduled tribes. The total reserved quota in Haryana government jobs now is 72%, the highest anywhere in India. This is also 22% more than the Supreme Court limit on reservation. Mr. Baghel had announced the new policy in his Independence Day speech in Raipur.
