New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi’s comments on reservation has ignited controversy in the country. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, made his remarks on reservation during a talk at Georgetown University, USA. The Congress leader said that he and his party will scrap scrapping reservations when India is a fair place.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar has said that such comments by a person holding a constitutional post shows his ‘anti-constitutional mindset’. ‘A person from a constitutional post saying on a foreign land that reservation should be ended underscores the same anti-constitutional mindset. The baton of prejudices against reservation has been handed over. It is the same old anti-constitutional mindset,’ Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said while addressing a public event in Mumbai.
The Congress party always had a complicated relationship with reservations and affirmative action. Jawaharlal Nehru was hesitant to implement widespread affirmative action. Later, Indira Gandhi’s tenure, was also fraught with resistance to significant reservation policies. Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister, made controversial remarks, even calling OBCs “buddhu” (foolish), which sparked outrage among backward communities.
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Most political experts believe that this stand of Congress shows its lack of its commitment to empower marginalised groups like SCs (Scheduled Castes), STs (Scheduled Tribes) and OBCs (Other Backward Classes). Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks suggests that the party will scrap or dilute reservation policies if given the chance.
Affirmative action in the form of reservations for SC, ST and OBC communities has been a cornerstone of India’s efforts to empower these marginalized communities. Despite decades of economic and social reforms, caste-based inequality remains a stark reality. . Discrimination based on caste and socioeconomic status continues to limit access to education, employment and basic rights for millions. In such a context, affirmative action is not just a tool for empowerment but a moral necessity for correcting historical wrongs.
Critics of the Congress party argue that Rahul Gandhi’s comments are consistent with a long-standing agenda to weaken affirmative action. Most say that Congress is playing minority appeasement over inclusive affirmative action. They think that Congress party views reservations as a tool to divide Hindu communities while consolidating minority votes, particularly Muslims.
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