Reservation debate: Nadda holds talks with protest representatives

Union Minister J P Nadda on Thursday met representatives of the ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ in New Delhi, days after a protest at Jantar Mantar called for economic criteria to take precedence over caste in determining reservation and government benefits.

Nadda said the meeting followed the movement held at Jantar Mantar on August 21. In a post on X, he said he held “cordial discussions” with Harsh Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan and Mrityunjay Pathak, who were part of the group behind the campaign.

“Following the movement that took place at Jantar Mantar on 21 August, cordial discussions were held, as per the pre-determined schedule, with Harsh Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and Mrityunjay Pathak, members of the team. In this connection, we will meet again soon,” Nadda said.

The ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ demonstration was organised on August 21 following a call issued through an Instagram-based page. Protesters demanded that economic conditions be given greater weight than caste in deciding eligibility for reservation and other government support.

The Delhi Police had said permission had not been granted for the proposed gathering and deployed heavy security, including police and paramilitary personnel, at Jantar Mantar. Several protesters were detained after reaching the area.

The latest meeting between Nadda and representatives of the campaign indicates that further discussions on their demands are likely, with the BJP leader saying the sides would meet again soon.