The Congress will hold a countrywide protest on February 16 to expose the “anti-quota” ideology of the BJP and the RSS. The move comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict delivered early this week where it said that there is “no fundamental right which inheres in an individual to claim reservation in promotions”, and also no court can order a State Govt to provide for reservation to SC/STs.
The party has asked leaders to organise a dharna or public meeting or protest march under the combined aegis of the SC, ST and OBC depts, coordinated and monitored by State unit chiefs.
In a circular issued to all the State units and the frontal organisations, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal said, “As you are well aware that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar ideology is opposed to the reservations for SC, ST and OBC communities. The BJP has been systematically attacking the provision of reservations for SC, ST and OBC through various statements and actions for the last many years.”
Slamming the BJP-led central Govt, the party said “Carrying forward this agenda, the BJP Govt now has taken unconstitutional stand in SC.”
“In response to the stand taken by the BJP government, it has been decided by our party to vehemently expose the BJP and agitate for the constitutional rights of the SC, ST and the OBC on February 16,” he said in the letter.
This is the second protest by the party in last two months with earlier “Bharat Bachao Rally” held in national in December 2019 which is touted to be a great success. In the rally the grand old party had attacked the Modi government on a number of issues, including the economy, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and women’s safety.