Congress demands reservation in private educational institutions
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday demanded that the central government immediately pass a legislation to implement reservation for scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), and other backward classes (OBCs) in private educational institutions.
Anil Jaihind, chairman of the OBC Department of the Congress, claimed the Centre was compelled to announce a caste census after the party raised the issue and said the government will also be compelled to implement Article 15(5), which seeks to allow reservations for SCs, STs, and socially and educationally backwards classes in educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, except minority institutions.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of 'sitting on' this constitutional provision for the past 11 years, depriving over 100 crore citizens of their access to education and said his party will push for this legislation in the upcoming Parliament session.
'Modi ji calls himself an OBC and talks of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, but for the last 11 years he has been sitting on it,' he said
Jaihind said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had inserted Article 15(5) in the Constitution in 2006 and landmark Supreme Court rulings—Ashok Kumar Thakur vs Union of India (2008), IMA vs Union of India (2011), and Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust vs Union of India— had upheld this provision.
However, he said, ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in 2014, they have failed to pass the necessary legislation to implement this right.
'The Congress party, our honourable president Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition, the protector of the constitution, Rahul Gandhi ji, will get this article 15(5) of the Constitution, reservation for SC, ST, OBC in private institutions, done in this very session of Parliament,' he said.
'When Rahul ji raised the issue of caste discrimination, you all saw what Modi ji said. Once he said that it is a big sin to talk about caste, there is no caste, and that in this country, there are only women, youth, the poor and farmers. Once he said that these are urban Naxals who talk like this... One of their leaders, whose name is very popular on social media, had said that whoever talks about caste will be beaten up. So, despite such comments, when the pressure of the country, people, OBC, SC, ST increased, they were compelled... Very soon, this government will be compelled to form legislation on Article 15(5) and implement this reservation,' he said.
'The time for social justice has come, and no power in the world can stop the implementation of provisions for social justice in the Constitution,' he concluded.
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