Reservation reform stir: protesters assured of Union minister meeting, Delhi Police deny fresh nod
Protesters demanding changes in the reservation system have been assured of a meeting with a Union minister, even as Delhi Police denied permission for a fresh gathering at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday said the demands of the "reservation reform" movement would be placed before the BJP's central leadership. He said a delegation of protesters would meet a Union minister within the next two days.
Pathak made the remarks at a press conference in Lucknow alongside representatives of the protest being held at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He said the government stood with the youth and was committed to helping realise their aspirations.
"The demands of the students' delegation have been heard carefully and they have been assured of appropriate action," Pathak said. He said a letter submitted by the students would be forwarded to the central leadership and efforts would be made through dialogue to resolve their "justified demands".
BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday opposed the demand for replacing caste-based reservation with reservation on economic grounds. She said such a move would not be in the country's interest.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the constitutional provision of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs was intended to address the discrimination and deprivation faced by these communities for centuries. She said those raising demands against caste-based reservation should refrain from taking any step that could undermine the constitutional objective of building an egalitarian society.
Mayawati said neither Rahul Gandhi nor any other Congress leader went to Jantar Mantar to explain the party's position to the protesters. She said this reflected what she described as the Congress's "anti-reservation mindset" towards these communities.
"Reservation on economic grounds is already in place in the country," Mayawati said, adding that even poor families from upper-caste communities were not getting its full benefit and that the arrangement had largely proved inadequate.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the campaign to end reservations under the guise of "reservation reform" was "another deep plot against the PDA community". "Reservation is the right of PDA, not the subject of anyone's whim," he said in a post on X.
Delhi Police on Sunday said no permission had been granted to any individual or organisation to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar over reservation reforms. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which replaced Section 144 of the CrPC, are in force in New Delhi district, barring assemblies of five or more persons.
Police warned citizens against gathering on the basis of "misleading" social media posts and said legal action would be taken against those found creating, circulating or disseminating fake or misleading information.
The movement began on Friday, when police detained several protesters who gathered at Jantar Mantar despite a heavy turnout and tightened security. The protesters, mobilised through social media, are demanding that economic criteria be given precedence over caste in determining eligibility for government support and reservation.
The movement is being led by anti-reservation activists, including Harsh Dubey, Mrityunjay Pathak and Shiva Sharma.
Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale has said reservation cannot be removed because it is a constitutional right, and described demands for its abolition as unconstitutional.
(With inputs from PTI)
