Congress Will Remove 50% Reservation Cap, Give As Much Reservation As Needed”: Rahul Gandhi

“That’s why they gave the ‘400 seats’ slogan. But forget 400, they are not getting 150 seats. They say they will remove reservation. I want to tell you from this stage, we will increase reservation beyond the 50 per cent cap. We will give as much reservation as needed for the poor, the backwards, Dalits and adivasis,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Madhya Pradesh: Today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declared that the Congress Party intends to abolish the Supreme Court-imposed 50 percent cap on caste-based reservations and enhance quota benefits for individuals from Dalit, backward, and tribal communities. Speaking at a campaign rally in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi emphasized that this election is centered around safeguarding the Constitution. He accused the BJP and RSS of seeking to undermine and alter the Constitution, while the Congress and the INDIA bloc are committed to its preservation. Holding a copy of the Constitution, Gandhi highlighted the rights it grants over water, forests, and land, which he claimed Narendra Modi aims to strip away in pursuit of absolute power.

Criticizing BJP leaders for expressing intentions to amend the Constitution if victorious, Gandhi rejected their pledge to increase seats to 400, suggesting they wouldn’t even secure 150 seats. He asserted that the BJP threatens to eliminate reservations, while he pledged to expand them beyond the 50 percent limit, providing as much as necessary for the economically disadvantaged, backward classes, Dalits, and indigenous peoples. Gandhi’s statements come amidst intense campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections and escalating debates between the NDA and the INDIA bloc over reservation policies. The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accused the Congress of planning to manipulate reservations to favor Muslims, an allegation the Congress has refuted. At a rally in Banaskantha, Gujarat, the Prime Minister challenged Rahul Gandhi and his party

भाजपा और नरेंद्र मोदी का अंतिम लक्ष्य वंचितों का आरक्षण छीन उसे 0% करना है,

मगर हम 50% आरक्षण सीमा तोड़ कर देश में सामाजिक न्याय कर के दिखाएंगे – यह कांग्रेस की गारंटी है। pic.twitter.com/2V6Rgh5MfZ
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 6, 2024