A day after the Supreme Court reiterated that the right to reservation is not a Fundamental Right, the BJP on Friday sought to assure the people, particularly those in Bihar, that the Modi government is "committed to reservation".
"The Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party are fully committed to reservation (in educational institutions and government jobs). Our commitment to social justice is unwavering. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly made it clear. Social harmony and equal opportunity for all is our priority. Let me clarify, the BJP is with the reservation system," BJP President JP Nadda said.
The BJP was apprehensive of the political ramifications of the court's assertion in Bihar where polls would be held in April-May next year and has a sizable population from the Dalit and OBC communities.
A comment by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation ahead of the last Bihar Assembly elections in 2016 was exploited against the BJP and is considered to be one of the main reasons the BJP lost those elections.
"Whose fundamental rights are being violated? Article 32 of the Constitution is a available only for violation of a Fundamental Right. We assume you are all interested in the Fundamental Rights of the citizens of Tamil Nadu," said the court on Thursday while hearing pleas challenging the Centre's decision to not grant 50 per cent reservation to OBCs in Tamil Nadu medical colleges.
( With inputs from IANS )