Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused Congress of being “anti-reservation” and prioritizing religion-based reservations over welfare for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Concluding the two-day Rajya Sabha debate on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, Shah alleged Congress of indulging in “appeasement, dynastic politics, and corruption.”
Key Highlights of Shah’s Speech:
- On Reservations and OBC Welfare:
Shah criticized Congress for sidelining the Kaka Saheb Kalelkar Commission report (1955), which proposed OBC reservations.“If the Kaka Saheb Kalelkar report had been accepted, the Mandal Commission report of 1980 would not have been necessary,” Shah stated. He alleged Congress intends to introduce religion-based reservations, increasing the existing cap of 50%, and vowed the BJP would never allow such measures.“Congress wants to give reservations to Muslims by increasing the quota limit beyond 50%. As long as there is even a single BJP MP, we will not allow reservation on the basis of religion,” he added. - Criticism of Emergency:
Shah denounced the Emergency imposed in 1975, calling it a suppression of democracy.“Lakhs of people were jailed. Media was censored. Every child should be told about the Emergency so that no one dares to impose it again.” - Article 370 and Jammu & Kashmir:
He highlighted developmental strides in Jammu and Kashmir post-abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.“For the first time, 35,000 Panchayat members were elected. Terrorist activities reduced by 92%. Over two lakh tourists visited the region. The national flag is flying at Lal Chowk,” Shah noted, asserting that BJP ended Congress’ “appeasement politics” in the Valley. - Defense of Veer Savarkar:
Shah defended Veer Savarkar against Rahul Gandhi’s criticism, highlighting his sacrifices during the freedom struggle.“If anyone had the courage to leap into the ocean for the country’s freedom, it was Veer Savarkar,” he remarked.
Political Reactions
- BJP Leaders: Praised Shah’s speech as insightful and factual. BJP MP Dr. Laxmikant Bajpai said Shah “showed a mirror to Congress.”
- Congress Leaders: Criticized Shah for targeting their party. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused him of misrepresenting facts. “Whatever the Home Minister said is far from the truth. He came to Parliament just to praise PM Modi,” Kharge stated. Jairam Ramesh called it “90 minutes of lies and an attack on Congress.”
- BJD MP Sasmit Patra: Lauded the debate, emphasizing the importance of upholding constitutional values.
The two-day debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha followed similar discussions held in the Lok Sabha last week. The winter session of Parliament continues until December 20.