Bengaluru: Responding to the Congress-led Karnataka government’s decision to provide 4 per cent reservation to Muslims in government tenders, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said on Sunday that anyone advocating Muslim reservation is going against the wishes of the founding fathers of the Constitution.
“The Constitution of Bharat does not provide any scope for religion-based reservation. Other states have attempted it but both the high courts and the Supreme Court have set them aside. It was implemented when Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were one state. It was also introduced when Sushilkumar Shinde was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. These announcements were made before elections, but the Supreme Court struck them down,” said RSS Sahakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale during a press conference which was held to brief on the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meeting in Bengaluru.
Hosabale added that the religion-based reservation is not possible, adding that the reservation for backward classes within a religion exists in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and many other states.
“However, the religion-based reservation itself is not accepted by the Constitution authored by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Anyone who supports this idea is going against the vision of the founding fathers of the Constitution,” he claimed.
On delimitation, Hosabale said that there has been no census and no draft has been released yet, adding that when nothing concrete has been announced, the Sangh cannot comment on it.
“Politicians can make statements about these matters every day. However, the Sangh cannot provide an opinion on something that has neither a draft nor an official announcement. The Union Home Minister has already clarified that no such process is underway. If a draft is released and a response is necessary, the Sangh will react accordingly,” he said.
Addressing a question on the caste census, he said that the Supreme Court has repeatedly sought data regarding the implementation of welfare schemes.
“We do not know when the census will take place. Once it is conducted, these issues can be taken up,” he said.
Responding to allegations that the RSS is appointing its workers as personal assistants (PAs) to ministers and BJP leaders, he claimed that the Sangh has never directed anyone to appoint RSS workers as personal assistants to ministers.
“RSS volunteers are citizens of this country. If they are competent and eligible, they get appointed based on merit. When there was no BJP government in any state, Sangh volunteers were still appointed to various positions because of their competence. There is a proper selection process, and not all those appointed are 100 per cent RSS volunteers. Being an RSS volunteer does not automatically guarantee an appointment,” he said.
Hosabale added that Sangh Swayamsevaks are not barred from holding positions, adding that they have every right, as citizens, to be appointed.
“If there is any illegality, appropriate action can be taken. However, no such irregularities exist. If they are citizens, why should they not be appointed?” Dattatreya Hosabale said.
(IANS)
