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System of reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs must continue: Sonia Gandhi
A day after Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi called for an end to reservation on caste lines, party president Sonia Gandhi snubbed him by saying that there should be `no doubt or ambiguity` over the party`s stand of continuing the system of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs.
New Delhi: A day after Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi called for an end to reservation on caste lines, party president Sonia Gandhi snubbed him by saying that there should be "no doubt or ambiguity" over the party`s stand of continuing the system of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs.
"The empowerment of SCs, STs and OBCs has been an article of faith with the Congress. "There should be no doubt or ambiguity on the stand of the Congress on the system of reservation for SC/ST and OBCs. They were introduced by Congress, they have been strengthened by the Congress and they will continue to be championed by the Congress," Gandhi said in a two-page statement.
Her statement was apparently aimed at damage control in the wake of Dwivedi`s remarks stirring up a political row with Opposition as well as UPA`s outside supporters SP and BSP condemning the AICC general secretary`s views projecting the same as Congress policy. The discomfiture in the party over Dwivedi`s remarks coming months before the next Lok Sabha polls was palpable and Congress and the government were quick to distance themselves from the remark, saying it was his "personal" view.
In her statement, Gandhi said that Congress is of the "firm opinion" that the system of reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs must continue.
"This is essential to deal with the discrimination imposed by centuries of subjugation and oppression," she said.
Seeking to make it clear that the party was not agreeable to Dwivedi`s proposal, Gandhi recalled that in the 2009 Lok Sabha manifesto, Congress had pledged to carve out reservations for economically weaker sections of all communities "without prejudice to existing reservation for SCs/STs and OBCs. A dialogue on this has already been initiated."
Dwivedi had called for an end to reservation on caste lines and urged Rahul Gandhi to introduce quota for financially weaker sections bringing all communities under its ambit.
"This (reservation on caste lines) should have come to an end. Why it did not happen so far was because vested interests got into the process. Does the real needy person even among the Dalits and backward castes get the benefits of reservation? Those in the upper crust of these communities only avail the benefits. There is a difference between social justice and casteism," Dwivedi had said.
Slamming Dwivedi for his statement against caste-based reservations, BSP chief Mayawati today demanded that the party must make its stand clear on the issue.
"A senior Congress leader has given a statement on reservation, this can`t be an individual`s opinion, but the party`s stand. We strongly condemn it," she told reporters outside Parliament.
LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, with whom Congress is inching closer to form an alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, said Dwivedi`s remarks were against the spirit of the Constitution.
"...this kind of statement will only strengthen the Opposition. We demand that Congress party should condemn it so that wrong message should not go the people," Paswan told reporters outside Parliament.
"The empowerment of SCs, STs and OBCs has been an article of faith with the Congress. "There should be no doubt or ambiguity on the stand of the Congress on the system of reservation for SC/ST and OBCs. They were introduced by Congress, they have been strengthened by the Congress and they will continue to be championed by the Congress," Gandhi said in a two-page statement.
Her statement was apparently aimed at damage control in the wake of Dwivedi`s remarks stirring up a political row with Opposition as well as UPA`s outside supporters SP and BSP condemning the AICC general secretary`s views projecting the same as Congress policy. The discomfiture in the party over Dwivedi`s remarks coming months before the next Lok Sabha polls was palpable and Congress and the government were quick to distance themselves from the remark, saying it was his "personal" view.
In her statement, Gandhi said that Congress is of the "firm opinion" that the system of reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs must continue.
"This is essential to deal with the discrimination imposed by centuries of subjugation and oppression," she said.
Seeking to make it clear that the party was not agreeable to Dwivedi`s proposal, Gandhi recalled that in the 2009 Lok Sabha manifesto, Congress had pledged to carve out reservations for economically weaker sections of all communities "without prejudice to existing reservation for SCs/STs and OBCs. A dialogue on this has already been initiated."
Dwivedi had called for an end to reservation on caste lines and urged Rahul Gandhi to introduce quota for financially weaker sections bringing all communities under its ambit.
"This (reservation on caste lines) should have come to an end. Why it did not happen so far was because vested interests got into the process. Does the real needy person even among the Dalits and backward castes get the benefits of reservation? Those in the upper crust of these communities only avail the benefits. There is a difference between social justice and casteism," Dwivedi had said.
Slamming Dwivedi for his statement against caste-based reservations, BSP chief Mayawati today demanded that the party must make its stand clear on the issue.
"A senior Congress leader has given a statement on reservation, this can`t be an individual`s opinion, but the party`s stand. We strongly condemn it," she told reporters outside Parliament.
LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, with whom Congress is inching closer to form an alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, said Dwivedi`s remarks were against the spirit of the Constitution.
"...this kind of statement will only strengthen the Opposition. We demand that Congress party should condemn it so that wrong message should not go the people," Paswan told reporters outside Parliament.