Gujarat independent MLA and founder of Dalit Ekta Manch, Jignesh Mewani on Tuesday, January 8 said that the Narendra Modi-led government’s bill to provide 10 per cent quota to economically weaker sections is a step towards the RSS’ plan to remove caste-based reservations from the constitution.
He wrote that having spoken to people affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he discovered something “dangerous”. Mewani wrote that RSS has always opposed caste-based reservation, and wants to amend the constitution to include reservation on the basis of economic criteria.
RSS के लोगों से बात हुई- भाजपा 10% ग़रीबों को आरक्षण क्यों दे रही है? जो पता चला वो बेहद ख़तरनाक है। RSS जाति आरक्षण के हमेशा से ख़िलाफ़ रही है। अभी पहले चरण में संविधान संशोधन करके आर्थिक आधार शुरू करेंगे। फिर SC, ST और OBC का सारा आरक्षण ख़त्म करके केवल आर्थिक आधार रखेंगे
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) January 9, 2019
He adds that after the amendment, the RSS plans on removing caste-based reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) entirely, and keep only reservations on the basis of economic criteria.
After being passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the Constitution 124th (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that provides reservations to economically weaker sections, is being discussed in the Rajya Sabha today and is expected to pass here as well.