"Congress Wants To Give SC/ST Reservation Share To Muslims": PM Modi Attacks Appeasement Politics In Rajasthan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of "playing with Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution" by citing instances when the Congress tried giving reservations on the basis of religion.

Reiterating former PM Dr Manmohan Singh's statement that "Muslims have first claim on country's resources," Modi said in Rajasthan, "Congress' ideology is appeasement and vote bank politics."

He alleged that the Congress' first work in 2004 after winning the Lok Sabha elections was an attempt to give Muslims reservations by cutting the quota of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Andhra Pradesh.

"This was a pilot project. From 2004 to 2010, Congress attempted four times in Andhra Pradesh to implement Muslim reservation but due to the Supreme Court's awareness, it could not succeed," Modi said.

He further alleged that in 2011, Congress attempted its nationwide implementation. "This was against the Constitution, but the Congress neither cared for it nor Ambedkar," Modi said on Tuesday (23 April).

He stated that in Karnataka, the BJP government's first work was abolishing Muslim reservations that were given from the SC/ST quota. He asserted that Modi is dedicated to the Constitution and worships Ambedkar.

"These people wanted to cut Dalits and Backward reservations for vote bank politics and wanted to give to their special jamaat. Congress wanted to give it to Muslims on the basis of religion," Modi said.

He urged the Congress to promise that it would not cut SC/ST reservations to give it to Muslims. He also urged the people to ask Congress leaders why they want to give reservation on the basis of religion.

"The reservation given to Dalits, Backwards and Adivasis will neither be abolished nor divided in the name of religion," Modi stated adding that he extended the quota for a further 10 years in 2020.