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Gandhinagar: Gujarat’s capital, saw diverse responses to the government’s call to grant a 27 percent reservation to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local self-governance bodies. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and fellow BJP leaders expressed their support for this decision. However, the Congress party labelled this action as an effort to deceive members of the OBC community.
Mr Patel and the state’s BJP chief, CR Paatil, stated that the intention behind this choice was to ensure unity among all segments of society.
On the other hand, Amit Chavda, leader of the Congress legislative party, criticized the decision made based on the findings of the Justice Jhaveri Commission report. He accused the BJP of trying to deceive and betray the OBC community through this move. Chavda even dared the leaders of the ruling party to engage in a public debate about this matter.
Gujarat’s OBC Reservation Decision: Diverse Reactions and Unity Focus
The recent move by the Gujarat government to grant a 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local self-governing bodies has sparked a range of responses. Isudan Gadhvi, the Chief of Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party, highlighted that this decision was a result of the OBC community presenting a united front on the reservation matter. He also expressed that the ruling BJP’s decision was influenced by the fear of losing support from the OBC community in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing the issue, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel affirmed, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has always made efforts to move forward by keeping people from different castes, communities, and religions together. The decision to provide a 27 per cent reservation to the OBC community in local bodies is in the direction of the same effort.” Mr Patel made this statement during a joint press conference held with CR Paatil, the state’s BJP chief, at the state BJP headquarters “Kamalam.” The decision was marked by celebratory sounds of bursting crackers at the event.
Mr Patel also ensured that measures have been put in place to prevent non-OBC communities from being adversely affected by the reservation policy. This move highlights a dual focus: maintaining unity and inclusivity while addressing the concerns of different sections of society.
OBC Reservation in Gujarat: Acknowledgment, Population Dynamics, and Community Unity
In response to the recent decision to reserve 27 per cent of seats for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local self-governing bodies, Mr Paatil expressed gratitude towards the state government and Chief Minister. Highlighting the significant representation of the OBC community, he pointed out that 52 per cent of Gujarat’s population belongs to this category.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, the state BJP president stated, “The Gujarat government has taken the decision to reserve 27 per cent seats for OBCs (in local bodies). As much as 52 per cent of the population in Gujarat belongs to OBCs, and out of the 156 BJP MLAs, 50 are from the community. This clearly means the party takes both OBCs and other communities together.”
Emphasising adherence to Supreme Court guidelines, Mr Paatil also assured that steps have been taken to safeguard the existing reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities. He noted that the move would positively impact 134 castes within the OBC category, granting them their long-awaited political rights.
Mr Chavda also alleged that the government’s decision to scrap the 10 per cent reservation for OBCs in local bodies after the 2021 Supreme Court order was an attempt to marginalise the political presence of OBCs within local bodies.
Allegations of Deception: Opposition Leaders Challenge Government’s Intentions
The manner in which the announcement was made by Minister Rushikesh Patel, who also serves as the government spokesperson, has raised concerns about the government’s true intentions. According to the allegations, the government did not adhere to the Supreme Court’s guidelines and the recommendations of the commission, indicating a lack of sincerity in their actions. The opposition leader claimed that the government’s actions were misleading and amounted to deception, particularly towards the OBC community.
“I extend an invitation to BJP leaders to engage in a discussion about the OBC reservation issue and the findings of the commission, along with the Supreme Court guidelines,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gadhvi, a leader from the Aam Aadmi Party, asserted that the BJP government had sinister plans to gradually eliminate reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). He alleged that there was an attempt to suppress the Jhaveri Commission’s report, which raised concerns about the government’s intentions.
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