The majority judgement of the Supreme Court on Monday upholding the 10% EWS reservation quota brought in 2019 is a vindication of the party’s stand, and backs the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabha Vishwas’ pitch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources in the BJP told News18.
“A small vested interest group, which thrives on social divisions is raking up non-issues,” a BJP source said, pointing out when the 10% EWS reservation came through, it was welcomed by people across all castes and communities. “At no point, did the SC or ST communities feel that their rights are being taken away. PM Modi himself hails from the OBC Community and is sensitive to demands of the poor and downtrodden,” the BJP source said.
BJP sources also pointed out that the EWS decision was noteworthy because it gave benefits to certain class of people but did not take away benefits from the other. “What the Modi government did was a break from the previous culture of discrimination and divisions where to give something to one group, (meant) things were snatched from another group,” the BJP source said, pointing to how reservation has always been a complicated subject in India’s history.
Handling of the EWS issue shows the “uniqueness of the decision and indicates the Prime Minister’s way of approaching things”, the sources further said.
Caste War in the Past
The BJP pointed out that in the past due to reservation, politically vested interest groups created social fault lines and furthered division in society, with even governments falling over reservation. “The memories of the Mandal Commission agitation are still fresh in the minds of many. Due to caste wars, lives have been lost, there have been ugly massacres and bloodshed,” a BJP source said.
What Changed When EWS was Brought
Not a single incident of violence took place when the EWS decision was taken and the harmony continues even today, a BJP source said. “This shows Modi government’s compassion for the people and its ability to take tough decisions and take them to the logical culmination,” the BJP source said. He also said the EWS reservation brought in “social equality” by providing “equal opportunities” in higher education and employment to those who have been excluded by virtue of their economic status.
The Supreme Court on Monday gave its consent to the EWS legislation with the majority view holding that the legislation does not violate the basic structure.
BJP sources say the Modi government has fulfilled the longest standing demand of an OBC Commission to safeguard the interests of the OBC community and toughened provisions of the SC/ST Act thus ensuring their dignity and protection.
The majority of the Prime Minister’s developmental schemes be it Swachh Bharat, Mudra, Jan Dhan, Ujjwala, Ayushman Bharat and more are impacting SC/ ST and OBC communities, the BJP adds. “Today, under Modi, the majority of SC/ ST and OBC MPs and MLAs belong to BJP. Thus, the argument of this being anti-SC/ST and OBC does not hold,” the BJP source said.
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