Patna: Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary accused the Congress party of consistently opposing reservation policies while highlighting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) commitment to social justice. Speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan’ event organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Study Cell at Gandhi Ghat, Patna, Samrat underscored the BJP’s historical support for reservation and its achievements in empowering marginalized communities.
“From Pandit Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, Congress has always opposed reservation. In contrast, the Jan Sangh and BJP have stood firmly in support of it,” Samrat said. He added, “Because of our long struggle, Dalits, tribals, OBCs, EBCs, women, and even the poor among upper castes have access to reservation today. No section of society is deprived.”
Tracing the History of Reservation:
The deputy CM pointed to key moments in India’s political history, accusing Congress of obstructing reservation initiatives:
- In 1950, during the implementation of the Constitution, he alleged that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru opposed reservation for Dalits and tribals.
- He recalled the tenure of Bihar’s former Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur, where the Jan Sangh, a BJP predecessor, supported reservation for backward classes while Congress opposed it.
- In 1989, when Prime Minister V.P. Singh implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations, Congress resisted the move, according to Samrat.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in 2019 and granting constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission.
Constitutional Values and BJP’s Policies:
The Deputy CM accused Congress of undermining the Constitution through actions such as imposing the Emergency, altering the Preamble by adding the word ‘secular,’ and failing to implement the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. “Prime Minister Modi ended Congress’s dual-flag, dual-constitution policy by abrogating Article 370 in 2019, integrating Jammu and Kashmir with India’s Constitution,” he said.
Samrat also highlighted the BJP’s fulfillment of major promises, including the removal of Article 370, strengthening the reservation system, and constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya. “Whatever promises we make, we fulfill. This is Modi’s guarantee, and the public trusts it,” he concluded.
The event also included the felicitation of winners from a Constitution quiz contest.
