Reservation Is a Constitutional Right, Not Charity: Chirag Paswan

India’s Union Minister Chirag Paswan has fiercely criticized the “reservation system of India,” adding that reservation is a right and not a favor done by anyone for any community. Paswan made his statement in the backdrop of large-scale protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the weekend, demanding an end to reservation in the name of “Reservation Hatao Andolan.” Talking to reporters in Bihar, Paswan argued that it is not possible to scrap reservation just because one community demands it, because reservation was devised for the upliftment of the marginalized communities.

Reservation is Constitutional, Says Paswan

According to Paswan, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are categories made because of the discrimination against them, which includes untouchability, and because of their distinct culture. Paswan paid tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar for incorporating the constitutional provisions related to reservation to help these castes. He pointed out that gradually the concept of reservation has become broader and people belonging to weaker castes can benefit from this system as well. He mentioned that no one can abolish this fundamental right incorporated in the Constitution without due process.

Government Ready for Negotiations with Protests

According to Paswan, the government is ready to negotiate with the Jantar Mantar protesters once the protesters put forward their demands in a certain manner. The government has also issued a warning that confusion about reservation may make people agitated. According to the Instagram account called "Reservation Hatao Andolan," which has more than 5.6 million followers, a central minister has agreed to conduct one-on-one talks with the protesters. The protests are demanding that the government should accord priority to economic criteria, fix minimum marks for admission into prestigious institutions, and provide greater benefits to the EWS category.