Vaidya's remark shows anti-dalit mindset of RSS and BJP, says BPCC chief

PATNA: Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Ashok Choudhary on Saturday strongly condemned RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya’s statement advocating review of the current caste-based reservation policy, and said Congress would oppose any move to end constitutionally-provided reservation to SC, ST and OBCs.
Vaidya, while speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival on Friday had said that even Dr B R Ambedkar, architect of the Constitution, was not in favour of perpetual continuance of reservations, and the current reservations policy should be reviewed.
“Vaidya’s statement has exposed the ‘anti-Dalit and anti-Backward’ mind set of the RSS and its political outfit-the BJP,” Choudhary, who is also the education and information technology minister, said.
The BPCC chief further said the reservation to the SC, ST and OBCs has been provided by certain provisions incorporated in the Constitution since its beginning, but the anti-Dalit forces like RSS and BJP were now searching an alibi to end the existing quota system in the name of review.
He said the common people of this country understand the “hidden agenda” of the RSS behind Vaidya’s latest statement and they would teach a lesson to the saffron party in the ongoing assembly elections in different states including Uttar Pradesh.
Choudhary said, it was not for the first time that such statement seeking review of the current reservation policy was issued by the BJP or the RSS functionaries. “Prior to the Bihar assembly polls in 2015, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also had raised similar demand. Bhagwat had then also suggested the formation of a non-constitutional body for review of the reservation policy. But, the people of Bihar rejected Bhagwat’s demand by voting against the RSS’ political outfit,” Choudhary pointed out.