BJP-RSS anti-dalit, want to end quota: Congress

The Congress on Monday condemned RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on reservation and accused the BJP and RSS of "being anti-Dalit" and trying to end the quota provisions for weaker sections in the Constitution.

"BJP-RSS are against Dalits and OBCs. They do not want them to progress. They have a well-planned conspiracy to end reservation. They want to end this under the cover of a debate. This mentality is condemnable," Congress leader P L Punia told reporters here.

"Baba Saheb (Ambedkar) believed that socio-economic inequality would be a challenge. Reservation was brought in place for the same reason. BJP has always been trying to change the constitution. Now they want to debate reservation," he added.

Echoing similar views, party spokesperson Pawan Khera accused the BJP and RSS of diverting the people's attention from main issues.

"It has become the habit of the BJP and RSS to keep raking up issues and creating conflict in the society...Issues on which opinions are sharply divided that can divert voters' attention from their issues of the government," he said.

"Be it demonetisation or Article 370, people have to understand this trap of BJP that they try to divert attention from the main issues," Khera remarked.

Congress leader Udit Raj alleged that the BJP wanted to spread "hatred" by making people fight among themselves owing to reservation.

"They are targeting all communities including Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. They want to take away reservation from all these communities," he said.

Bhagwat had yesterday said in an event in the national capital that there should be a debate on reservation and that it should be held in an "harmonious atmosphere" between those in favour of reservation and those against it.