Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, following his statement about ending reservation in India. Shinde said that Gandhi's comments reveal the true face of Congress, while Fadnavis declared that the government will not allow the abolition of reservation under any circumstances.
Rahul Gandhi, currently on a tour in the United States where he is meeting dignitaries, scholars, and philanthropists, made statements on various issues, including India's current situation. However, his remarks about ending reservation drew sharp criticism from the ruling parties.
Chief Minister Shinde said, "Whenever Rahul Gandhi visits foreign countries, he always makes insulting statements about Indian citizens. Making baseless comments and false allegations against India is not befitting of a people’s representative. His remarks about ending reservation expose the Congress party’s real stance on this issue."
Shinde added, "Mahayuti and our alliance parties fully support reservation and will not allow it to be abolished. We will fight against any attempt to stop reservation in the country."
He also recalled the contributions of Indian scholars and dignitaries, such as Swami Vivekananda, and top Indian CEOs in the U.S., accusing Gandhi of insulting these accomplished individuals and students.
Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis said, "On one hand, Gandhi is spreading a fake narrative in the country, and on the other, he is talking about ending reservation. This is unfortunate. The Congress has never respected Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Congress defeated Ambedkar twice in the Lok Sabha elections and prevented him from entering Parliament. Now, the Congress is creating false narratives just to secure votes."
He emphasised, "The BJP fully supports reservation and will not allow anyone to abolish it."
Rahul Gandhi had initially said that Congress would consider ending various reservations at the appropriate time, but the current time was not right. After the controversy erupted, he clarified that Congress is not against reservation but wants to increase the 50 percent cap on reservations.