BJP govt in MP staging 'drama' over 27 pc OBC quota, says Cong leader Kamal Nath

Bhopal, Sep 14 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Sunday accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of staging a "drama" in the name of 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and alleged the ruling party was working to deprive the community of its rights.

In 2019, the then Congress government led by Nath raised OBC quota from 14 per cent to 27 per cent by an ordinance, but his move could not be implemented due to litigation.

In a post on X, Nath claimed the Mohan Yadav government was repeatedly citing court procedures and legal advice to shield itself.

The OBC quota matter is pending before the Supreme Court, which will hear it daily from September 23.

Incidentally, Yadav held a meeting with OBC Mahasabha on Saturday, while state advocate general Prashant Singh discussed the issue with lawyers and stakeholders.

Last month, Chief Minister Yadav had convened an all-party meeting on the quota issue and said all political parties in the state were unanimous in supporting 27 per cent reservation for OBCs. Yadav had asserted the legislature and executive would make collective efforts to ensure its implementation.

Hitting out at the BJP, Nath said, "The drama being played out in the name of a 'grand strategy' on 27 per cent OBC reservation in MP is nothing short of a conspiracy to deprive the community of its rights." Nath further asked why participants were not allowed to carry mobile phones during Saturday's meeting chaired by the CM.

"Was this part of a conspiracy? Did the government not want the real picture and details of the discussion to reach the public?" Nath asked.

The Congress government had increased OBC quota to 27 per cent, but the BJP never accepted it and created hurdles in the courts, Nath further alleged.

"The present government considers the OBC community only as a vote bank and resorts to excuses and conspiracies when it came to implementing the quota. If the Congress government could implement 27 per cent reservation, why can't the BJP government? Under whose pressure is the BJP denying OBCs their rights?" the Congress leader questioned.

Nath said the OBC community must now realise who their true ally was.

"The Congress had delivered rights to them while the BJP was trying to take them away," he claimed.

OBCs comprise around 51.8 per cent of Madhya Pradesh's population, according to an estimate. Since 2003, all BJP chief ministers, namely Uma Bharti, Babulal Gaur, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Mohan Yadav, have been from the OBC segment. PTI LAL BNM