Scrap quotas if you dare: Lalu to PM, RSS

Patna, September 21 RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Monday dared RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and the BJP to end education and job quotas. Thus, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has also suggested reviewing the country’s reservation policy.

“(The so-called tea-seller Modi who recently converted as Backward, shall tell people whether he will terminate the reservation policy at the advice of his mentor Mohan Bhagwat?)”, Lalu said in another tweet.

“You talk about scrapping reservation, we say that we will increase it in proportion to the demographic profile of backward castes”.

In his interview to Organiser, Bhagwat had suggested setting up of a committee with representatives from civil society to examine who needs the facility and for how long.

The BJP on Monday said it does not favour a reconsideration of the reservation policy.

Bhagawat statement was preceded by a tweet by Ram Madhav who is BJP general secretary that the “RSS clarifies that Shri Bhagwatji has not made any comment on the existing reservation system”.

He blamed “petty politics” for the criticism of Bhagwat’s call and stated the formation of a “non political” fee will sideline these indulging in politics over the difficulty.

“Reservation is a settled issue in India”. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said categorically, “BJP is not in favour of any reconsideration of reservation policy”.

NDA ally RLSP, a party of OBC Koeris, too took objection to the RSS chief’s assertion that caste-based affirmative action was being exploited for political reasons. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala slammed 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.

“It is BJP’s firm committment since Jan Sangh days that reservation is essential for social and economic development and empowerment of SCs, STs, backward and extremely backward castes”.

He, however, said there should be a debate on how to extend the benefit of the reservation to those poor and backwards who have been left out.

The response of Bhagwat on the reservation issue came on the question: “You said integrity and honesty are the main parameters”. He said everybody should strive that all weaker sections of society get reservation benefits as was the aspiration of makers of Constitution. “Since inception it has been politicised”.