The Madhya Pradesh BJP Government has landed in an unexpected controversy, this time from its own support base, after filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court on OBC reservation.
What should have been a routine legal process has snowballed into a political storm, with many BJP sympathisers accusing the State of endorsing “anti-Hindu” views.
The Government’s affidavit defended its 2024 decision to increase OBC reservation in education and jobs from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.
To provide historical context, it annexed the 1983 Mahajan Commission Report, prepared under a Congress Government.
But soon after, excerpts from the report surfaced on social media, drawing widespread outrage for passages that critics claimed insulted Hindu traditions.The circulated excerpts included references to the killing of Rishi Shambhuk by Lord Ram, the denial of archery training to Eklavya due to his Bhil identity, and assertions that the Varna system deprived 80 per cent of Bahujan Shudras of rights for centuries.
Many BJP supporters saw this as an attack on their faith and accused the Government of failing to safeguard Hindu sentiments.
Demands to withdraw the affidavit quickly gained traction online, leaving the Mohan Yadav administration scrambling to control the damage.
On October 1, 2025, the government issued a clarification, firmly distancing itself from the controversial passages. Officials stressed that these excerpts were not part of the state’s
affidavit or policy but came directly from the Mahajan Commission’s report, which has been part of the judicial record since it was first presented before the Madhya Pradesh High Court decades ago.
The Government reiterated that its OBC reservation policy was based on contemporary data and had nothing to do with the Commission’s observations.The BJP’s official Statement described the social media furore as the handiwork of “mischievous elements” spreading misinformation.
It warned that strict action under the IT Act would be taken against those deliberately misrepresenting the affidavit.
“The Madhya Pradesh government is fully committed to the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and to social harmony,” the party declared.
Yet, the clarification has not entirely quelled the unease among BJP’s own cadre and supporters.
The episode highlights the political sensitivity around caste-based reservation and religious tradition, both deeply emotive subjects in Madhya Pradesh.
For the Mohan Yadav Government, which is still consolidating its position after taking office, the row has underlined how quickly internal discontent can flare when ideological sensitivities are perceived to be mishandled.
With the matter still live before the Supreme Court, the controversy has given the opposition fresh talking points while forcing the BJP into damage control with its own rank and file.
In many ways, the crisis is less about legal arguments over reservation and more about the political minefield where caste and religion intersect — territory the ruling party must now navigate with extreme caution.
