No controversy, BJP always supports caste-based reservations: Kailash Vijayvargiya

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, normally known for his controversial statements, has this time tried to downplay a controversy. The leader said in Jabalpur on Sunday that the BJP has always been in support of caste-based reservations and this was not an issue in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Vijayvargiya’s assertion comes in context with the recent controversial statement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya in Jaipur that ‘even Dr BR Ambedkar was against the idea of (caste-based) reservations forever’.

BJP had distanced itself from the statement immediately, but political watchers said that it is a known fact that caste-based reservation issue was always a bone of contention within the party circles.

BJP’s ideological mentor, RSS has clear views against caste-based reservations. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement against reservation ahead of Bihar assembly polls two years ago was apparently one of the reasons of BJP’s loss.

Given this history, BJP is trying to distance itself as much as possible from the controversial issue.

Vijayvargiya, one of the most vocal of BJP’s leaders from central India, therefore tried to make light of the issue while speaking with local media persons.

He said that reservation was a non-issue in UP polls and rather people are fed-up of the misrule of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and want a change.

Few months ago, in a bid to assuage the apprehensions of reserved category employees in MP, the chief minister Shivraj Singh had made a public statement that he would ensure benefits of caste-based reservations in promotions of state government employees till his last breath.