Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday said reservation is linked to social transformation and economic emancipation of the SC, ST and OBC communities. She said raising the creamy layer issue is not only inappropriate but also contrary to the sacred objectives of the Constitution.
In a post on X, the BSP chief slammed the RSS stating that it should stop engaging in politics over reservation. “They should respect the Constitution and not advocate for any tampering with reservation. Rather, it should fully cooperate in fulfilling the constitutional duties and objectives of establishing an ‘equalitarian social order’ in the country. It is the need of the hour and the demand of the times,” she wrote.
“Reservation is an extremely important and sensitive issue for SC, ST and OBC communities, particularly for SCs and STs who have faced discrimination, exploitation and deprivation for centuries,” Mayawati said. “Discussing a ‘creamy layer’ for these communities is not only inappropriate but also contrary to the “humanitarian objectives” of the Constitution drafted under the leadership of Dr BR Ambedkar,” she claimed.
“Reservation is essentially about giving millions of people who have been victims of the caste system for centuries and who have been exploited, oppressed, neglected and ostracised, their constitutional and legal right to equality on humanitarian grounds,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“Reservation is essentially about giving millions of people who have been victims of the caste system for centuries and who have been exploited, oppressed, neglected and ostracised, their constitutional and legal right to equality on humanitarian grounds,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Mayawati also criticised RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent remarks that reservation had been deliberately politicised, creating bitterness in society and that beneficiaries should voluntarily give up their benefits.
“The RSS chief’s view reflects a casteist mindset and it might serve narrow political interests but would undermine constitutional objectives. Caste discrimination cannot be measured merely through economic progress. Its impact continues to affect every aspect of the lives of those who have suffered from it,” the BSP chief remarked.
Mayawati said the successive governments at the Centre were aware of the “ground reality” and urged the present government to effectively argue its case before the courts if it wanted SCs and STs to be kept outside the scope of the creamy layer.
“If the government, based on valid arguments, effectively presents its case and persuades the court to keep the SC and ST communities outside the creamy layer, it would be entirely appropriate and constitutional,” she said.
The BSP chief alleged that courts were often unable to deliver appropriate justice in matters concerning “social transformation” because of inadequate government responses and a lack of effective legal representation.