Headlines
Congress targets Modi over Bhagwat's remarks on quota
New Delhi, Sep 21
The Congress on Monday
slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark on quotas and also targeted
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, alleging that as chief
minister of Gujarat, Modi had pursued "anti-Dalit" policies.
In a
statement, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat sought a "review of reservation
for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes".
"It
is a manifestation of the anti-poor mindset espoused by the RSS and the
BJP. The RSS-BJP combine continue to spread polarising agenda to
undermine the rights of deprived and underprivileged, particularly the
SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes," Surjewala alleged.
He said
the Congress introduced the system of reservation for SCs, STs in
government employment, educational institutions as well as elected
bodies as part of affirmative action enshrined in India's Constitution.
"It
is also the Indian National Congress that introduced reservation for
OBCs in government employment and educational institutions in the
mid-1990s and later," he said.
He said the Congress was of the
firm opinion that affirmative action in favour of SCs, STs and OBCs must
continue in order to deal with the discrimination imposed by centuries
of subjugation and oppression.
Surjewala alleged that Modi as chief minister of Gujarat did not hold a meeting of SC Sub Plan (SCSP) and ST Sub Plan (STSP).
"The
policy had not been intentionally implemented on account of malafide
and malicious intent of the then chief minister," he alleged.
He said the population of SCs in Gujarat was 14 percent but allocation of budget for them was only 5.42 percent.
"There
was a backlog of 27,900 vacancies of SCs and STs in Gujarat under
Narendra Modi. The Gujarat government did not provide any reservation
for SCs in as many as 600 villages out of a total of 12,000 villages in
the 2012 panchayati raj elections," he alleged.
Bhagwat on Sunday
pitched for a review of the reservation policy, contending it had been
used for political ends and suggested setting up an apolitical committee
to examine who needs the facility and till when. The RSS later
clarified that its chief had not called for an end to quotas in
education and jobs.
The BJP on Monday said it does not favour a reconsideration of the reservation policy.