Contesting RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya’s claim that BR Ambedkar was not for continuance of reservations in perpetuity, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader and late Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday charged that Vaidya had made “this provocative statement” just to test the waters ahead of the Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand elections like Mohan Bhagwat did prior to the Bihar elections.
A day after the RSS publicity chief kicked up a controversy by claiming that late Ambedkar was not in favouring of continuing reservations for good, Prakash demanded to know to from Vaidya as to when and where the architect of the Constitution had taken such a stand.
In a statement issued on behalf of BBM earlier in the day, Prakash said, “On behalf of the party we condemn the statement of Manmohan Vaidya that reservation should be put to an end. We challenge Mr. Vaidya to State the source where Babasaheb Ambedkar made the statement”.
“The RSS right from the beginning is against the reservation. All persons belonging to reserved category have to decide on this background they would like to continue their association with RSS and BJP,” the BBM statement said.
Talking separately to ‘The Pioneer’ later in the evening, Prakash said,“like it did before of the Bihar elections, the RSS is trying to test waters ahead of the UP and Uttarakhand elections. The RSS leaders will continue to make this kind of provocative statements prior to various Assembly elections to be held in the country in the run-up to the watershed general elections of 2019”.
“Through this kind of provocative statements, the RSS’ attempts to bring down the gap of percentage votes polled by parties supporting and opposing reservations. In the Bihar polls, the gap came down to 4.5 per cent. My apprehension is that if voted back to power with absolute majority, the BJP will do everything in its command to tweak the Constitution and end reservations,” Prakash said, as he condemned Vaidya’s attempt to polarise voters ahead of the UP and Uttrakhand polls.
Participating in an interactive session at the Jaipur literature Festival on Friday, Vaidya had stirred up a hornet’s nest with favouring a review of the reservation policy.
“Reservation for SC/ST was introduced in a different context. It was provided for in the Constitution to remedy the historical injustice done to them. It was our responsibility. So, reservation for them has been there since the inception (of the Constitution). But, even Ambedkar has said its continuance in perpetuity is not good. There should be a time limit to it,” Vaidya had said.
After his remarks on reservations sparked a fierce debate on social networks and media, Vaidya issued a clarification later in the evening that what he meant was that reservation was needed so long as social discrimination exists in the society.
“Until there is discrimination in society, reservation should be there. We should end discrimination in society as soon as possible. The weakest of the weak should get the benefits of reservation. But it should be looked into why they haven’t got the benefits of reservation even after so many years after Independence,” Vaidya said.
Accusing the media of distorting his statements, Vaidya said: “Reservations to the weaker sections should continue till inequality ends”. He clarified that he had opposed only religion-based reservations.
Meanwhile, Republican Party of India (Athavale) president and Union Minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment condemned RSS publicity chief RSS chief Vaidya’s statement, saying that the demand for ending reservations in the country was wrong.
“The caste-based reservation is a Constitutional right bestowed on weaker sections by late Dr Ambedkar. No one can take away the Constitutional rights of Dalits and Adivasis in the country. If such an attempt is made, there will be a vehement opposition and the move will be foiled,” Athavale said in a statement issued here.
“The demand to end reservations is wrong. It is a stand taken by the RSS. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand is for continuance of reservations in the country,” Athavale said.