Nehru against reservation of jobs for SC/STs: Amit Malviya refers to old newspaper clipping

Amit Malviya

As the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party engage in an intense public debate over the issue of reservation for members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, in a tweet referred to an old newspaper clipping that showed how former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was against the concept of reservation in jobs for the members of SC/ST community as it would create an inferiority complex in them.

The clipping says the former Prime Minister was on a three-day tour to three districts in Maharashtra. Malviya in the tweet adds: "Congress has always been against empowerment of SC/ST and OBCs. But PM Modi and BJP will ensure that no one tampers with the Constitutional provisions of reservations".

Continuing the reservation debate, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that if his party comes to power in the Lok Sabha Election 2024, it will increase the reservation beyond 50 percent.

"Today, there's a cap of 50 percent on reservations. We will scrap this limit, we will raise the reservation cap for the poor," reiterated Gandhi on Monday.

In its manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Congress guarantees that it will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 percent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC.

Refuting allegations by the Congress, BJP's top leadership has maintained that reservations for the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) would not end as long as the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are there.

In its manifesto, the BJP has promised to empowered women by enacting the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to provide reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

For SC,ST and OBCs, the BJP said it will ensure adequate representation for SC, ST and OBCs in District-level committee, which will be established to ensure that welfare schemes reach the lowest level.