INDI Alliance Goes Public on Muslim Reservation Amid Lok Sabha Polls, PM Modi Hits Back

New Delhi: The ongoing controversy over Muslim reservation in India has been further intensified by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav's recent call for "poora (full) reservation" for the Muslim community. The contentious statement triggered a strong reaction from Prime Minister Modi, who reiterated his commitment to safeguarding the reservation quotas for Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs, emphasizing that these quotas should not be allocated to Muslims based solely on religious grounds. The BJP, on the other hand, has accused the INDI alliance of engaging in ‘vote-bank’ politics by advocating for Muslim reservation, heightening tensions surrounding the issue. 

‘Who Was Convicted in Fodder Scam’: PM Jabs Yadav 

Taking potshots on Lalu Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Modi said that the ones who are out on bail after committing scams are advocating for religion-based reservation. PM alleged that the INDI alliance plans to snatch away the quota benefits of groups including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. “Congress is silent but today one of its allies confirmed the intentions of the INDI alliance,” said the Prime Minister.

"Their leader was in jail in connection with the fodder scam and has been punished by the court. He has just come out on bail. He said that Muslims should get reservations and not just reservations, he says that Muslims should get complete reservations. What does this mean? These people want to snatch away all the reservation that SC, ST and OBC community have and give complete reservation to Muslims..." said PM Modi while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar on Tuesday. 

Congress Downplayed Contributions of Babasaheb: PM

Prime Minister, during his Dhar rally, alleged that Congress wanted to snatch the credit of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, adding that no one can change the Constitution of India. “Congress doesn't want to give the credit to Baba Saheb for making the Constitution. The party has started saying that Baba Saheb's contribution in making the Constitution was less, Nehru ji played the biggest role in making the Constitution. They first distorted the history of the country and made people forget the great Sons of Independence. They wrote false history to glorify themselves and now they have started fabricating lies about the Constitution as well,” said PM. 

“Congress and INDI alliance are spreading a new rumour that if Modi gets 400 seats, he will change the Constitution. It seems as if the Congress people's intelligence has been locked by the vote bank. Hey, they should know that from 2014 to 2019 and 2019 to 2024, Modi had the support of 400 seats in the form of NDA and NDA+," he added. 

Apprehensions of PM are Proving to be True: BJP

Reacting to Lalu Yadav's remarks, BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivdei said that the apprehensions made by Prime Minister, earlier, are proving to be true. “The apprehensions expressed by BJP and PM Modi are now proving to be completely true. The genie of Muslim reservation has come out of the lamp of the INDI alliance and is visible in the sky from the South to the plains of Ganga,” said Trivedi during a press conference.

"The thing worth noticing in the statement given by Lalu Prasad Yadav is that the most serious word he was asked about the Muslim community, he said yes Muslims should get reservation 'poora ka poora'. It became clear that they want to give reservation to the Muslim community by snatching the share of SC, ST and OBC..." he said.

What Lalu Yadav Said on Muslim Quota?

Earlier, in the day, Lalu Yadav said that he is in favour of extending reservation benefits to members of the Muslim community. On BJP's charge that if voted to power, the Congress, RJD and other allies would "steal" reservations meant for OBCs and divert these to Muslims, Lalu Yadav said, "But should not Muslims get the benefit of reservations? (Aarakshan to milna hi chahiye Musalmanon ko)".

Further, he alleged that if BJP is voted to power, it would do away with reservation benefits by scrapping the Constitution. "The BJP is against the provision of reservations made in the Constitution. Hence, it wants to do away with both", Prasad told reporters at the legislative council premises.  The ailing septuagenarian, who nowadays prefers to stay indoors, was attending a swearing-in ceremony where his wife Rabri Devi took oath as an MLC.

About Muslim Quota 

The draft Constitution had ‘minorities’ word in Article 296 which was dropped at the time of adoption of the Constitution and shifted to Article 335. This enabled the state to make provisions for reservation in favour of the backward communities. Hence, the state which allotted quota benefits to the Muslim community could do that as the groups were a form of backward classes in the state which didn't have proper reservations.