Centre brought OBC quota in medical education in fear of action by court: Surjewala

All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday observed that the NDA government at the Centre announced 27% reservation for OBC students in medical education in the fear of action for contempt of court and not due to any concern about backward classes.

"A law in this regard was brought during the UPA regime, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not implement that. Madras High Court's direction to implement it was also not obeyed. The government's announcement came only after the court warned action for contempt of court," he said.

Also read: OBC quota in medical colleges late step aimed at electoral benefits: Mayawati

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had also written a letter to Modi, seeking the implementation of this quota, but he did not respond. BJP is anti-backwards classes and anti-poor. Modi claims that he has come from a backward community, but he did not implement this quota for seven years after becoming the prime minister, Surjewala criticised.

Charging that the BJP came to power in the State with the help of corruption, defection and Pegasus spyware, he lamented that BJP leaders are busy lobbying for ministerial berths when people are in trouble due to flood and Covid-19 situations.

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"Assam-Mizoram border violence is due to the failure of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers of both the states. Why the BJP leaders do not act against them?" Surjewala asked.

AICC president's elections were postponed due to the Covid-19 situation, and the new president would be elected when the elections would be held. Millions of Congressmen want Rahul Gandhi to become the president, he added.