Nagaur (Rajasthan) : In an oblique reference to the recent Jat agitation in Haryana and the Patel stir in Gujarat, the RSS on Sunday said demands for reservation by the affluent sections of society only reflected deviation from the spirit of the Constitution.
“Reservation has helped weaker sections of society and if the affluent sections also demand reservation, it does not sound good. This is a deviation from the thinking of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the spirit of the Constitution. The affluent should surrender reservation for the uplift of the weaker sections,” RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi told media persons here.
The RSS also wants a study conducted to ascertain whether the deserving backward classes are actually getting the quota benefits. This would include a detailed discussion on whether or not a creamy layer should be there in all quota categories.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat too had made similar remarks on the eve of Bihar Assembly elections that quotas should be reviewed. However, the statement was badly timed and had boomeranged on the BJP: it was interpreted by the backward classes to mean that their rights were being usurped and they had voted aggressively against the saffron coalition.
This time, too, the stand articulated by the Sangh could have political ramifications as the BJP government in Haryana has already committed itself to a Jat quota after the recent unrest. It could also have ripple effects in adjoining western UP where assembly polls will be held next year. Likewise, in Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP is an ally of the ruling TDP, Kapus are seeking OBC quota.
Would be taken away and some upper class leader would be the Chief Minister. They aggressively voted against us cause of this statement and Lalu and Nitish capitalized on this. We could not defend it much, he said.
Keeping in mind that Dalits are a formidable vote bank, the BJP has sought to downplay such statements of its ideological fountainhead. But In many ways this is a manifestation of its own dilemma which is similar to that of the Congress: the BJP would like to wean away the Dalits and ‘assimilate’ them into the ‘Hindu mainstream’ but is constrained by its electoral calculus.
Pressing forth with its larger agenda of ‘social harmony,’ the RSS general secretary said: “Caste-based discrimination is a matter of concern for all of us and members of the Hindu community are responsible for it. But now we need to eradicate it. A message for this should be conveyed so that there is no discrimination…’’
