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Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Minister Tulsi Ram Silawat on Monday criticised the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his recent comments on reservations made during a visit to the US, saying that Gandhi was merely echoing the views his family had held since the time of Nehru.
"Rahul Gandhi stated during his recent US visit that he will remove reservations. This is the same rhetoric that his family has been pushing since Nehru's time. The Congress party ruled the country for 57 years, yet during its tenure, it misused constitutional processes to achieve political ends and grossly neglected societal interests," Silawat told reporters. According to the minister, the Congress has never demonstrated the political will to implement the fundamental principles of reservation, as outlined in the Indian Constitution, in their true spirit. He further criticised the Congress, saying the party's sole aim has been to remain in power, even if it meant sacrificing the country's interests. "The Congress's only objective has been to stay in power, even at the expense of the nation's interests," Silawat posted on X. Notably, during his US visit, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress would consider scrapping reservations when India becomes a "fair place," which he argued it currently is not. "If you look at the Indian government, there are 70 bureaucrats who essentially run the system--secretaries to the Government of India. These individuals make nearly all the financial decisions. Out of these 70 people, only one is a tribal, three are Dalits, three are OBCs, and one belongs to a minority community. Ninety per cent of India holds less than 10 per cent of the positions that determine how money is allocated. When you examine the financial numbers, Tribals receive 10 paise out of every Rs 100, Dalits get Rs 5, and OBCs receive a similar amount," said the Congress leader. "The reality is that these groups are not being adequately represented. The issue is that 90 per cent of the population isn't being allowed to participate. We will consider scrapping reservations when India becomes a fair place, and it currently is not. This creates a dilemma, as there are members of the upper castes who argue, 'What have we done wrong, why are we being penalised?'" he added. (ANI)
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