The usually reticent senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi on Tuesday yet again came out publicly with his views — this time, over ending reservation on caste lines — putting the Congress in a fix ahead of the General Elections.
Calling for ending caste-based reservation, Dwivedi urged Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to introduce quota for financially weaker sections bringing all communities under its ambit.
Dwivedi’s new pitch could raise many eyebrows and comes at a time when the Congress is pursuing minority sub-quota, supporting reservation in promotion for SCs/STs and appearing to be favourably disposed towards reservation for jats and of the richest community like jains.
“Reservation on caste lines should have come to an end. It did not happen yet because of the vested interests that got into the process. Do the really needy persons — even among the dalits and backward castes — get the benefits of reservationIJ Those in the upper crust of these communities only avail the benefits. There is a difference between social justice and casteism,” Dwivedi said in his first-ever interview in 37 years his political career.
“The concept of social justice has now turned into casteism...I believe there is a need to dismantle this ....Since Rahul Gandhiji is seeking views of the people directly for the party manifesto, I am now urging him that he should take a bold decision,” the party general secretary told PTI.
Justifying his pitch for ending caste-based reservations, he said the situation has changed from the past and “now no person has the moral courage to publicly endorse casteism.” Dwivedi has spoken out on the lines and resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) chaired late Rajiv Gandhi on August 29, 1990.
The Congress leader, who had a couple of days ago surprised everyone by maintaining that his party should not have formed an alliance government in 2009 despite getting 206 seats, also appeared in disagreement with the concept of UPA III for 2014 saying, “Now in 2014 elections, let us be clear we will not do any compromise on principles.”
Congress, however, sought to downplay down the remarks made by Dwivedi. “What he has said is something he has been saying within party fora earlier also. He had been expressing his views earlier as well,” party spokesperson Shobha Oza said on remarks that Congress should not have formed an alliance Government in 2009. On his views to caste-based reservation, she said a senior leader has expressed a view and this can be considered by the party.
