RJD, Congress want to give religion-based reservation to appease their vote bank: PM Modi

PATNA: Launching a scathing attack on the opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Baba Saheb Ambedkar used to say that there would be no reservation based on religion, but the RJD and Congress want to “appease their vote bank,” by ending SC/ST/OBC quotas.

While addressing a public gathering in Patliputra, PM Modi said that Congress changed the law related to minority institutions overnight to please its vote bank.

“The Constitution says that there will be no reservation based on religion in India. Baba Saheb Ambedkar used to say that there will be no reservation based on religion but RJD, Congress want to give reservation to their vote bank based on religion by ending the quota of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Other Backward Caste”, the Prime Minister said.

#WATCH | Addressing a public gathering in Patliputra, Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “Our constitution says that there will be no reservation based on religion in India. Babasaheb Ambedkar used to say that there would be no reservation based on religion…But… pic.twitter.com/3ra9IybWQK

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2024

Accusing the opposition of snatching away the educational opportunities for students of SC/ST/OBC categories, PM Modi said, “To please its vote bank, Congress changed the law related to minority institutions overnight. After this, thousands of institutions were declared minority institutions. Earlier, SC/ST/OBC used to get full reservations during admission to these institutions. Because of the RJD-Congress, today SC/ST/OBCs do not get even 1 per cent reservation in minority institutions. This means that the INDI Alliance has snatched away educational opportunities for lakhs of SC/ST/OBC youth.”

PM Modi further promised the people of Bihar that no one can snatch the reservations SC-ST-OBC until he is alive. “RJD-Congress and INDI Alliance cannot deny the fact that they want to change the Constitution and provide reservation based on religion throughout the country. But today, I give a guarantee to the country and Bihar that as long as Modi is alive, I will not let the rights of SC/ST/OBC and extremely backward classes be snatched away. For Modi, the Constitution is supreme, and the spirit of Baba Saheb Ambedkar is supreme,” he said.

“RJD-Congress together have looted the reservation of Yadav, Kurmi, Kushwaha, Teli, Kanhu, Nishad, Paswan and Musahar families,” PM Modi alleged. PM Modi further took a swipe at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over its election symbol and said there is a ‘lantern’ in Bihar that lights up just “one house” and spreads only darkness in the state.

“In this era of LED bulbs, there is also a lantern here in Bihar. A lantern that lights up just one house. This lantern has spread only darkness in the state,” he said. The Prime Minister said the Lok Sabha election is not only for electing MPs but the Prime Minister of the country.

“This election is not electing the MP but choosing your PM. How should India’s Prime Minister? The Prime Minister should be such that he can project the capability of this strong country before the world. The INDI Alliance plans to deliver five Prime Ministers in five years,” he said.

The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases and will conclude on June 1. The sixth phase of voting is underway on Saturday. (ANI)