The reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC), with an alleged discrepancy created by the inclusion of ex-servicemen in the category, has emerged as a new flashpoint of conflict in the ruling Congress in Rajasthan. Several Congress leaders have questioned the State Government’s inability to do away with the aberration despite the matter having been raised many times.
The Congress MLAs belonging to the Jat community, categorised as OBC, have been demanding for the withdrawal of a notification issued by the previous BJP Government in 2018 granting 12.5% horizontal reservation in the ministerial and subordinate services to the ex-servicemen within the reserved categories. The OBC communities have objected to it and called for a separate quota for ex-servicemen.
The matter came into the limelight over the weekend when it was scheduled to be considered at a Cabinet meeting, but was deferred without citing any reason. Former Minister and MLA from Barmer district’s Baytu, Harish Chaudhary, alleged that a “particular ideology” had opposed a decision on the issue and questioned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot about his intentions.
After declaring that he would fight the battle for getting justice for the OBCs, whose quota was being occupied by the former defence personnel, Mr. Chaudhary met Pradesh Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, Education Minister B.D. Kalla and Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria here on Saturday. Mr. Chaudhary requested all of them to press for convening another meeting of the State Cabinet for taking a decision to remove the anomaly.
Significantly, Mr. Gehlot had directed the officers concerned to resolve the issue at the earliest in September this year by taking departmental and legal opinion, while making it clear that the recruitments should not get stuck in any judicial process. The Chief Minister’s assurance came after the OBC Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti staged a protest demanding the removal of all discrepancies in reservations.
1.5 lakh jobs to come up
Mr. Chaudhary, who had also participated in a dharna on the issue in Barmer, said the OBC youth would lose out in the recruitment to the upcoming posts if the ex-servicemen continued to get the quota benefit within the reserved categories. About 1.5 lakh government jobs of teachers, police constables and subordinate staff would be coming up shortly in the current financial year.
Two other Congress MLAs – Mukesh Bhakar, a loyalist of former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, and Divya Maderna – have also urged the Chief Minister to decide on the matter soon. Mr. Bhakar said if the Congress Government did not take a timely decision, an anti-government and anti-party environment would build up in the State.
Even as the ex-servicemen have been getting a large chunk of the 21% OBC quota, the Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha shot off a letter to Mr. Gehlot, saying the amendment made in 2018 to the Rajasthan Civil Services (Absorption of Ex-servicemen) Rules, 1988, was correct and did not require any change. Mahasabha president Suresh Mishra, also a Congress leader, said a section of the party leadership was trying to create confusion on the issue.
With the desert State going to the Assembly polls next year, the ruling Congress may face the challenge of dealing with the demands from different castes and communities on the reservation issue. The State has witnessed prolonged agitations on the inclusion of Jats in the OBC and Scheduled Tribe status for Gujjars which was later changed to the creation of Most Backward Class, and the fixing of a quota within the overall OBC reservation for Mali, Saini and Kushwaha communities.
Published - November 13, 2022 01:58 am IST
