Ashok Nagar (Madhya Pradesh): Targetting Congress over its stand on the reports of the Mandal Commission, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday claimed that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was against the implementation of the recommendations laid by the backward panel.
Addressing an election rally in Chanderi, Amit Shah said," Congress kept sitting on the report of Mandal Commission and suppressed it. Rajiv Gandhi was against the implementation of its report. For 70 years Backward Commission was not a constitutional body and it was the Modi government that made it a constitutional body. We have 27 ministers at the Centre who are from the OBC community."
Stating that the BJP is consistently working for the rapid development of the OBC community, Shah said," Reservations for the backward community have been put in place effectively by the Modi government at Sainik schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodya schools." In 1978, former Prime Minister Morarji Desai of the Janata Party announced the constitution of a second Backward Classes Commission under chairman BP Mandal to identify the socially or educationally backward classes" of India. The panel submitted its report in 1980. Later in the year 1990, former Prime Minister VP Singh announced the recommendations of the Mandal Commission would be implemented further ensuring that 27 per cent of the jobs in Central government and Public sector units would be reserved for backward classes.
Earlier Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi identifies himself as an Other Backward Class (OBC) when the PM considers 'poor' as the only caste in India.
"PM Modi says in every speech, 'I am OBC'. But when I talk about the caste census, they say there is no caste in India. There is only one caste in India: 'Garib'. Modi ji, if 'poor' is the only caste in the country, then why do you call yourself OBC?" Rahul Gandhi said.
Madhya Pradesh is set to undergo polls in one phase on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. Voters will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.
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