Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday doubled down on his attacks on the Congress, declaring party stalwart and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said he was against reservations for marginalised communities because it “promoted inefficiency in the system”.
“I remember Nehruji a lot these days…” Mr Modi began, “He once wrote a letter to chief ministers, in which he said he was against reservation and that (it promoted) non-meritorious people.”
“Nehruji used to say that if SC, ST or OBCs get reservation in jobs, then government work standards will fall. He even stopped recruitment. What Nehruji said has been pathhar ki lakeer (‘set in stone’) for the Congress since. Your mindset can be understood through such examples,” the PM lashed out.
“The party has always been against the interest of SC and ST communities.”
“But we have always prioritised them… first Dalits and now Adivasis. Who are the beneficiaries of our schemes? All our works are for the SC, ST, and OBC communities,” the PM continued.
The PM also referred to President Murmu’s election; she is the first tribal woman to hold the post.
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“Your (opposition to Ms Murmu) wasn’t for ideology. You made someone who went from BJP (former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha) the candidate. You were opposed to an Adivasi woman.”
The sharp comments on the Congress – part of a vitriolic attack in the Rajya Sabha (following similarly sharp remarks in the Lok Sabha Monday) – come weeks before a general election the BJP is expected to win, and one in which a caste survey/census, and reservation, are likely to be key poll planks.
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On Monday the PM targeted both Mr Nehru and another Congress stalwart and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, claiming their speeches revealed they had no faith in Indians’ abilities.
“The Congress never trusted India’s potential. They always considered themselves rulers and belittled people,” the Prime Minister claimed, before he attacked Nehru (again) for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “Kashmiris have paid a heavy price for Nehru’s mistake…” he declared.
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