India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), believes that it is unconstitutional to grant reservation on the basis of religion. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the party’s belief during a public meeting in Nanded, Maharashtra, while commemorating the BJP-led government’s nine years in office. Shah stated that the Shiv Sena UBT chief, Uddhav Thackeray, should clarify his stance on the issue. Shah also criticised Thackeray for forming an alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the 2019 Assembly elections, despite previously accepting that if the NDA won, Devendra Fadnavis would be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Previously, while campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Shah defended the BJP government‘s nullification of the 4% reservation for Muslims, which the Congress had established, by claiming that the party rectified the wrongs committed by the Congress. Furthermore, during a meeting in Byndoor in April, he claimed that the Congress had promised to restore the Muslim reservation.
However, Congress leader K. Rahman Khan announced that the party would increase Muslim reservation from 4% to 6% if they won the Karnataka elections. Shah criticised this promise, claiming that it would compromise the rights of other communities and would be unconstitutional.
In his latest speech, Shah claimed that India started to make real progress only after the Congress rule ended and the BJP came to power. He commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his contributions to India’s culture, heritage, development, and welfare of the poor during the last nine years of his leadership.
Shah stated that the BJP had worked towards preserving India’s culture and heritage, while ensuring good governance. He praised Modi for bringing India’s history and culture to the global stage, stating that whether he is present or absent, people chant Modi-Modi, showing their respect for the Prime Minister.
