Shehzad Poonawalla Criticizes Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks on Reservation
New Delhi, India – September 12: BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has criticized Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, for his recent comments on reservation. Poonawalla accused Gandhi of reflecting his “political and family DNA” on the issue.
During a visit to the United States, Rahul Gandhi stated that the Congress party would consider scrapping reservations when India becomes a “fair place.” Poonawalla responded by saying, “Rahul Gandhi has reflected his political and family DNA regarding reservation, on foreign land. He spoke about ending reservations by Ambedkar ji. His family did that. In 1961, Nehru Ji said that reservation is wrong. He had said that it makes people second-class. Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi opposed the Mandal Commission and its report. Rajiv Gandhi had said that those who are given reservations are fools.”
Poonawalla further accused the Congress party of conspiring to end SC, ST, and OBC reservations during their time in power, citing actions in Karnataka and Bengal. He also mentioned that ending reservations would deprive communities like Valmiki, Gujar, and Bakkarwal in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rahul Gandhi, during his interaction at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, emphasized the need for a caste census and highlighted the lack of representation for OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis, calling it the “elephant in the room.” He stated, “The fact of the matter is they are not getting participation. The problem is 90 per cent of India is not able to play…We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place and India is not a fair place.”
Doubts Revealed
Shehzad Poonawalla -: Shehzad Poonawalla is a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is one of the major political parties in India.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress, another major political party in India. He is also the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Reservation -: Reservation in India refers to a system where a certain percentage of seats in government jobs and educational institutions are reserved for people from certain underprivileged communities like SC, ST, and OBC.
SC, ST, OBC -: SC stands for Scheduled Castes, ST stands for Scheduled Tribes, and OBC stands for Other Backward Classes. These are groups of people in India who have historically faced social and economic disadvantages.
Caste census -: A caste census is a survey that collects data on the different castes in India. This helps in understanding the population distribution and planning for social welfare programs.
Dalits -: Dalits are people who belong to the lowest caste in the traditional Indian caste system. They have historically faced discrimination and are also known as ‘Scheduled Castes’.
Adivasis -: Adivasis are the indigenous people of India, also known as ‘Scheduled Tribes’. They are the original inhabitants of the country and have their own distinct cultures and traditions.
