‘INDIA bloc raising issue of Constitution change out of desperation’
BJP has been in favour of reservation since the beginning, and quota for SC, ST, and OBC will remain in the country, says senior party leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
enior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday made an attempt to corner both the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over the debate of changing the Constitution and reservation issue, saying they are making such statements out of desperation.
S‘Rights to OBCs’
“The Congress and the RJD are saying that if the BJP comes to power, it will change the Constitution. The NDA government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been in power for 10 years, but has not even touched the Constitution. Rather, the NDA government gave constitutional rights to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), and also set up an OBC commission. We removed triple talaq, and strengthened the economically weak people. Ramnath Kovind, who comes from the Dalit community, was made the President, and a tribal woman, Droupadi Murmu, was given the highest post in the country,” Mr. Prasad said while addressing the media in Patna.
Attacking the Congress, Mr. Prasad said it imposed the President’s Rule 90 times in the country, out of which 50 times were imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
He also added that during the Ram Mandir movement, the government was toppled not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Taking a dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, the BJP leader said when Emergency was imposed in the country Mr. Yadav also went to jail, and today he says that the Constitution is in danger.
Mr. Prasad stressed that the Constitution is eternal, permanent and respectable, and if at all the Constitution is unsafe today, it is because of the thinking of Congress and its allies.
He also said that the BJP has been in favour of reservation since the beginning and reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and the OBC will remain in the country.
He claimed that Muslims are being included in the OBC in Karnataka, despite having no reservation on the basis of religion in the Constitution.
‘Property survey’
“Rahul Gandhi is talking about conducting property surveys, which means he is talking about snatching the property. Rahulji, if you had to take the property then you should have said that you will seize the property of fodder scam and bitumen scam accused. It is not Rahul Gandhi’s but Maoist thinking that is dominating him,” Mr. Prasad added.