In the midst of escalating political tensions between the BJP and the Congress over the issue of reservations for Muslims, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has made startling allegations, suggesting that the BJP has plans to abolish reservations for marginalized communities in the near future.
Revanth Reddy claimed during a public meeting on Thursday that the BJP aims to eliminate reservations by the year 2025, coinciding with the centenary of its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"By 2025, RSS will complete 100 years. They are trying to scrap SC, ST, OBC reservations by 2025. Many times, RSS and BJP leaders have commented about reservations," Revanth Reddy asserted.
Highlighting previous actions by the BJP, Revanth Reddy pointed to the party's history of obstructing the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, which recommended reservations for Backward Classes (BC).
Furthermore, Reddy alleged that the BJP's ambitious electoral slogan of 'abki baar 400 paar' (this time, beyond 400) is geared towards securing enough seats in the Lok Sabha to potentially abolish quotas for SC, ST, and BC communities.
"Some individuals are backing the BJP's agenda to eliminate reservations. These Lok Sabha elections serve as a referendum on SC, ST, and BC reservations," Revanth Reddy emphasized.
Revanth Reddy's remarks come in response to statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Madhya Pradesh, where he criticized the Congress's stance on reservations. PM Modi also took a swipe at Revanth Reddy, referring to him as the "Congress Chief Minister of Telangana" and insinuating that he would ensure reservations specifically for Muslims.
PM Modi cautioned against diluting reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), citing the Congress's move to include Muslims in this category in Karnataka.
"The Congress wants to snatch reservation from SCs/STs/OBCs and give it to its special vote-bank," PM Modi alleged, accusing the Congress of attempting to politicize reservation policies based on religious lines.
"This action of the Congress is an alarm bell for the OBC communities of the entire country," he concluded.
