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Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president N Ramchander Rao on Thursday criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over the latter's remarks targeting the ruling party regarding caste discrimination and women's reservation. He accused the Congress of dividing society along caste, community and religious lines for political interests.
Reacting to Kharge's statement that Hinduism was facing the threat of extinction due to untouchability and caste discrimination, Rao alleged that the Congress was responsible for the persistence of casteism in the country despite having governed India for several decades after Independence. Again and again, he is blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party government for caste not being eradicated. In fact, it is the Congress party which is responsible for casteism in the country, Rao told ANI. He further accused Congress leaders of repeatedly raising the issue of caste for political purposes and said the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) did not believe in the caste system. Including Rahul Gandhi, whenever he speaks, he speaks only about caste. In fact, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the RSS are the only organisations which don't believe in the caste system. Our society should become a caste-free society, but the Congress party, due to its political interests, is trying to divide society in the name of caste, community and religion, Rao said. Calling Kharge's remarks objectionable, the BJP leader alleged that caste discrimination had persisted during Congress rule and claimed that the situation had improved under the BJP government. On Kharge's demand that the government implement 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament immediately, without waiting for delimitation, Rao said the Congress itself had failed to implement women's reservation when it was in power. The Congress party wanted to bring this women's reservation Bill during their regime, during Rajiv Gandhi's period. They could not bring it. Though they passed the resolution, they did not take any steps. On the other hand, their partners tore the women's reservation Bill and opposed it, he said. Rao credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with bringing the legislation forward and said the proposed expansion of parliamentary seats through delimitation was necessary to account for changes in population and constituencies. It was Narendra Modi ji who brought this Bill and made it a legislative reality, and 33 per cent reservation is now a reality, Rao said. Explaining the BJP's position on delimitation, Rao said an increase in the number of seats was necessary and argued that a proposed 50 per cent increase would provide a formula that would not disadvantage any region. He also accused the Congress of creating a false narrative around the potential impact of delimitation on southern states. Now they say that they don't oppose 33 per cent reservation on the existing strength. It is only an excuse of the Congress party to see that the implementation of 33 per cent women's reservation is not done, Rao said, alleging that the opposition party was finding reasons to prevent its implementation. Kharge had earlier argued that one-third of the existing seats could be allocated to women without waiting for delimitation and questioned what was preventing the government from implementing the reservation immediately. The exchange comes amid a political debate over caste discrimination, the implementation of women's reservation and the proposed delimitation of constituencies. (ANI)
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