Modi ji gave 10% reservation to economically weaker upper castes: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth and Sports Affairs Shri Anurag Singh Thakur today said that when the Congress government in Karnataka was preparing to cut the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs at the behest of 10 Janpath, did Chief Minister Sukhu oppose it? If not, then is Sukhu going to cut the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs in Himachal too to appease Congress’s votebank? Modi ji has given 10% reservation in government jobs even to the economically weaker upper castes, but the anti-reservation Congress is not able to digest even this. 

Shri Anurag Thakur said these things today during his more than a dozen programs and public meetings in Kutlaihad and Shri Naina Devi Assemblies. During this, he also cornered Congress and opposition parties on the issues of Army and SC, ST and OBC communities.

Shri Anurag Thakur further said, “Congress has been anti-SC, ST and OBC since its existence, whereas on the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party has always worked for the upliftment of SC, ST and OBC communities. It is Congress which has started the disease of reservation on religious basis in India. Wherever their state governments come, these people snatch the reservation of SC, ST and OBC brothers and sisters and give it to their vote bank for appeasement. Why doesn’t the Chief Minister of Himachal Sukhu tell the people whether he is planning to cut the reservation for SC-ST and OBC communities in Himachal too?

Shri Anurag Thakur further said that in the last 10 years, the deprived have been the priority of the Modi government. The development that Modi ji has done for SC, ST and OBC community is historic and unprecedented, that is why our SC, ST and OBC brothers and sisters have openly come in favor of BJP today. Every day, hundreds of SC, ST and OBC families are joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in entire Himachal including Hamirpur because they have got the maximum benefit from the public welfare schemes of the Modi government. 

Shri Anurag Thakur further said, “During the tenure of the Congress government, a budget of only ₹40 thousand crore was allocated every year for SC social welfare. Today, under the BJP government, the budget for the welfare of SC community is more than ₹ 1 lakh 40 thousand crore. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the budget of the Ministry of Social Justice has increased by a substantial 90% with a special focus on Scheduled Castes. Today, seeing their clear defeat, the Congress people are spreading lies and confusion in the name of the Constitution. But the truth is that Congress has always underestimated the contribution of Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. Congress had even opposed the election of BR Ambedkar to the Constituent Assembly. Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi honored themselves with Bharat Ratna, but BR Ambedkar ji was not given Bharat Ratna even after his death.”

Shri Anurag Thakur further said, “Baba Saheb Ambedkar ji was awarded Bharat Ratna when the Janata Dal government was in power with the support of BJP. Today Modi ji has given due respect to Baba Saheb. Modi ji built Panch Teerth in Mau, Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi and London, started celebrating Constitution Day and declared a national holiday on his birth anniversary.” 

Shri Anurag Thakur further said, “After the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today Scheduled Caste people are getting reservation there. Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, which benefited more than 12 crore farmers, has 1.5 crore beneficiary from the SC community. Under the Ujjwala scheme, up to 35% Dalit women have got gas connections. 71% of the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana are from SC, ST and OBC communities. 80% of the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana are small and marginal farmers who come from SC, ST and OBC. Today 58% scholarship has been given to our ST and SC students. More than 18% of the benefits of Mudra Yojana have gone to our SC brothers and sisters. About 54 to 55% of the benefits under the housing scheme have been received by our SC and ST brothers and sisters. Modi ji brought PM Vishwakarma Yojana, the biggest benefit of which is going to SC-ST and OBC communities. Not only this, Narendra Modi ji has also built the airport of Ayodhya in the name of Lord Valmiki ji and today a grand statue of the great saint Ravidas ji is being built in Varanasi and his grand Dham is being built in Madhya Pradesh.”

Shri Anurag Thakur further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has been working for the upliftment of SC community in Himachal for decades. “In 1998, when the Bharatiya Janata Party government was formed under the leadership of Professor Prem Kumar Dhumal ji, the budget for the Scheduled Caste sub-plan was only 11% while the Scheduled Caste population was 25%. In view of this, Professor Dhumal ji increased the budget from 11% to 25%. Not only this, Dhumal ji had also constructed an Ambedkar Bhawan in every assembly constituency and at that time had started the Dr. Ambedkar Meritorious Scholarship Scheme for 2000 meritorious students of Scheduled Caste. In this, every student received ₹ 10,000 every year. At that time, Dhumal ji had launched Mata Shabari Mahila Empowerment Scheme for Scheduled Caste BPL families, under which they were given free gas stoves. Dhumal ji also started giving a grant of up to ₹ 10 lakh specifically for the management of streets, drains, and proper lighting under the Guru Ravidas Public Facility Upgradation Scheme in Scheduled Caste settlements.

Shri Anurag Thakur said, “Shri GMC Baliyogi was historically appointed as the first Dalit Speaker of the Lok Sabha during the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. BJP has achieved a historic achievement by appointing Shri Ramnath Kovind as the first Dalit President of India and Mrs. Draupadi Murmu as the first tribal President. In his second term, Prime Minister Modi gave representation to the poor, the oppressed, the exploited, the deprived, and the downtrodden of the society in the new cabinet. His Council of Ministers includes a record 12 ministers from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, including 2 cabinet ministers. Bharatiya Janata Party has given tickets to SC, ST candidates at a record level this time too.”