BSP supremo Mayawati has lashed out at the demand for reservation based on economic criteria at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. She said on Sunday that Dalits have been victims of casteism for centuries. In such a situation, the demand for reservation based on economic criteria is not right.
Targeting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati wrote on ‘X’:
Rahul, who sat on dharna outside the police station in Delhi, did not go to get the anti-reservation protest happening at Jantar Mantar right next door stopped. He did not even try to go and explain to the protesters. This clearly exposes Congress’s anti-reservation mentality.
The BSP supremo appealed to the central and state governments not to give any kind of shelter or protection to anti-reservation elements.
She told political parties that cheap politics should be stopped on sensitive and important issues like reservation.
New demand for reservation based on economic grounds is not right at all
Mayawati termed the demand for reservation based on economic grounds as anti-national and a blow to the spirit of the Constitution. She made it clear that Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) have been harassed for centuries.
Constitutional measures in the form of reservation were created to protect them from this casteist oppression. In such a situation, the new demand to implement reservation based on economic grounds is not appropriate at all.
Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar had said that ‘renunciation of casteism is the greatest patriotism.’
People not getting benefits is not due to reservation, but a result of corruption
BSP supremo said – Every year, huge budgets are spent by governments to eradicate poverty. Not receiving its benefits is the result of government system failure and corruption, not reservation.
The real benefit of economic reservation (EWS) implemented for poor families of general category is not reaching them; there is more deception in that too.
Attempt to strengthen Dalit and deprived vote bank
Political experts say that by opposing reservation on economic basis, Mayawati is trying to strengthen BSP’s traditional Dalit and deprived vote bank. BSP’s politics has long revolved around the issue of social justice and rights of deprived sections.
At a time when protests took place at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding changes in the reservation system and reservation on an economic basis, Mayawati is trying to present herself as the strongest advocate of reservation and constitutional rights.
Know about the ‘Remove Reservation Movement’…
It should be noted that a protest against reservation was held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday, 21 August. A large number of people gathered in the ‘Remove Reservation Movement’.
They demanded the implementation of reservation based on economic criteria while opposing the caste-based reservation system.
The protesters also demanded changes in some UGC rules and the reservation system. Keeping the movement in view, Delhi Police made tight security arrangements. Some protesters were also taken into custody.
Courtesy : Bhaskar English
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