MP Minister Tulsi Ram Silawat Criticizes Rahul Gandhi's Comments on Reservations

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 23: Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Minister Tulsi Ram Silawat criticized the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his recent comments on reservations made during a visit to the US. Silawat accused Gandhi of echoing his family's views since the time of Nehru.

Silawat told reporters, "Rahul Gandhi stated during his recent US visit that he will remove reservations. This is the same rhetoric that his family has been pushing since Nehru's time. The Congress party ruled the country for 57 years, yet during its tenure, it misused constitutional processes to achieve political ends and grossly neglected societal interests."

According to Silawat, the Congress has never shown the political will to implement the fundamental principles of reservation as outlined in the Indian Constitution. He further criticized the Congress, saying, "The Congress's only objective has been to stay in power, even at the expense of the nation's interests."

During his US visit, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress would consider scrapping reservations when India becomes a "fair place," which he argued it currently is not. Gandhi highlighted the underrepresentation of marginalized communities in government positions, stating, "If you look at the Indian government, there are 70 bureaucrats who essentially run the system--secretaries to the Government of India. Out of these 70 people, only one is a tribal, three are Dalits, three are OBCs, and one belongs to a minority community. Ninety per cent of India holds less than 10 per cent of the positions that determine how money is allocated."

Gandhi added, "The reality is that these groups are not being adequately represented. The issue is that 90 per cent of the population isn't being allowed to participate. We will consider scrapping reservations when India becomes a fair place, and it currently is not. This creates a dilemma, as there are members of the upper castes who argue, 'What have we done wrong, why are we being penalised?'"