Bhubaneswar: Amidst criticism from opposition parties regarding reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Higher Education, Odisha BJP State President Manmohan Samal today vigorously defended the newly implemented 11.25% quota, simultaneously lambasting the opposition BJD and Congress for what he termed their historical neglect of backward communities.
Addressing a press conference, Shri Samal asserted that the BJP government, nearing its first year in power, has made a “historic decision” by providing this reservation to OBC students. He accused both the BJD and Congress of deliberately creating confusion over the issue, particularly their calls for a 27% reservation for SEBC/OBC in education and jobs.
Shri Samal clarified the BJP’s stance, stating, “Though 27 percent of reservation needs to be provided to OBC people as per the recommendation of the Mandal Commission, it cannot be fulfilled in Odisha as the Supreme Court has restricted the reservation quota at 50 percent.” He emphasized, “So, the maximum we can provide is 11.25 percent reservation to the OBC. Accordingly, we have taken the decision.”
Governing BJP Chief highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative in 2018 to grant constitutional rights for 27% OBC reservation to bring them into the mainstream. He further announced that the Mohan Majhi government is actively working to extend the 11.25% quota to OBC students in technical, medical, and school education, with implementation expected “very soon.”
Shri Samal reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment to fulfilling its election manifesto promises to safeguard the basic rights of OBCs in Odisha within constitutional provisions. He then launched a scathing attack on the BJD and Congress, accusing them of “shedding crocodile tears” for backward classes after years of inaction.
“Who refused the BJD and Congress to implement this reservation when they were in the government in the State?” Shri Samal questioned, challenging their current advocacy. He recalled that Biju Patnaik, after whom the BJD is named, was the first Chief Minister to approach the Supreme Court against backward class reservation. Similarly, he pointed out that then-Leader of Opposition Rajiv Gandhi had opposed the Mandal Commission report when it was presented in Parliament.
Shri Samal attributed the opposition’s frustration to the proactive steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for the upliftment of backward classes. “The BJP has made 11.25 percent reservation for other backward classes based on the less than 50 percent rule. The Opposition parties have not tolerated this major decision,” he added.
He questioned why the BJD, despite ruling for 24 years, and the Congress, with its long stints at both the Centre and State, did not implement significant measures for OBCs.
Shri Samal specifically cited the 2011 socio-economic caste census under the Congress central government, asking why OBC data was not published while SC and ST figures were. He also criticized the previous BJD government for discontinuing OBC reservation in the 2022 Panchayat elections.
Further pressing the BJD, Shri Samal asked why they “did not fight properly” in the October 2017 Supreme Court Special Leave Petition (SLP) case aimed at relaxing the 50% reservation limit for backward classes. He drew a parallel, questioning why the BJD government, which appointed “renowned lawyers at a daily cost of crores of rupees” to protect miners’ interests, remained silent on OBC cases.
Shri Samal concluded by urging the people of Odisha to disregard the “crocodile cry” of both the Congress and BJD, emphasizing that the Modi government is conducting a caste-based census and the Mohan government is actively providing reservations in jobs and education to OBCs.