BJP welcomes SC refusal to stay AP HC order on minority quota

"Congress has been steadfastly and continuously following the communal agenda. We saw it in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Inspite of the results in these elections giving the message that voters have rejected the communal agenda, Congress has not learnt its lessons," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Charging Congress with appeasing minorities and adopting "divide-and-rule" policy, Sitharaman said "they (Congress) do not have the conviction to run this country on an agenda which will benefit all. They want to have this divide-and-rule policy and appeasement politics."

Acknowledging the Supreme Court decision is not a final verdict, Sitharaman said "it just shows repeatedly that they are in a hurry to keep up this agenda of appeasing minorities. They are not even doing their homework. They did not do it during the UP elections."

BJP maintained the need for quota is decided by the Backward Class Commission and the government did not ever go to it for consultations.

"Like a magician, they pulled this (sub-quota) out of their hat. It was not in their manifesto. Such reservation politics has been overwhelmingly rejected by the people," Sitharaman said, adding "BJP demands that the government focusses on issues which are affecting all citizens."

Insisting that reservation on the basis of religion is against the provisions of the Constitution, BJP said it is opposed to any attempt to do so.