Congress Asks PM Modi to Advise MPs to “Do Better Homework” After OBC Reservation Row
Jairam Ramesh cites PM’s past remarks amid BJP’s criticism of Muslim OBC reservations
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advise his party MPs to be better prepared before raising issues in Parliament, following a heated exchange over reservations for Muslims under the OBC category.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh made the remark after BJP MP K. Laxman accused the Congress and other opposition parties of engaging in appeasement and vote-bank politics by supporting OBC reservations for Muslims.
Responding to the criticism, Ramesh said that the Congress had been targeted in the Rajya Sabha for its stand on extending reservations based on backwardness, including among sections of the Muslim community. He added that the Prime Minister himself had earlier acknowledged similar provisions.
In a post on X, Ramesh shared a video clip of Narendra Modi, in which the Prime Minister is heard stating that several Muslim communities in Gujarat were included in the OBC category and had benefited from such provisions.
“In my Gujarat, when I was there, around 70 Muslim castes were classified as OBC and received benefits. But I did not see this being highlighted in the media,” Modi said in the video shared by the Congress leader.
Ramesh used the clip to underline his point, suggesting that BJP leaders should align their statements with the Prime Minister’s earlier position on the issue.
The exchange reflects the continuing political debate over reservation policies and their implementation across different communities in India.
