Why JP Nadda met anti-reservation protesters, and what BJP wants
On Thursday, Union Minister J P Nadda met with representatives of the “Reservation Hatao Andolan” in New Delhi. The group had been protesting against affirmative action being based solely on caste, instead advocating for economic criteria to determine eligibility. Nadda spoke to Harsh Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and Mrityunjay Pathak, leaders of the movement.
The meeting followed a similar discussion between Dubey’s delegation and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who pledged to pursue their demands within the BJP leadership and arrange a meeting with a Union Minister. The activists, including NEET aspirant and businessman Harsh Dubey and his brother Abhishek Agnihotri, have been demanding that reservations be granted based on economic status rather than caste, with the intention of abolishing the "cream layer."
The BJP views these discussions as a means of appeasing upper-caste voters, who have become increasingly dissatisfied with the party's stance on caste-based quotas. The upper castes, a crucial constituency for the BJP, have expressed deep unhappiness over the UGC equity regulations, believing their concerns are being ignored. The party aims to address the activists' concerns through data-driven information and a commitment to reforming the quota system.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
