'Conspiracy against reservation': Congress calls out RSS; demands removal of UGC chairman

New Delhi: Apprehending a conspiracy by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) against reservations, the Congress today demanded the removal of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar over the proposal of de-reserving various reserved posts.

Addressing a press conference here today, Chairman of the Unorganised Workers and Employees Congress Dr Udit Raj, and Congress SC Department chairman, Rajesh Lilothia said that the UGC was forced to withdraw the guidelines only after the Congress lodged a strong protest.

Substantiating his charge and apprehensions of the RSS being behind the whole episode, Udit Raj referred to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s earlier statement, saying, "Let us not forget that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had earlier revealed his anti-reservation mindset. Ever since the Modi government has come to power, there has been dilution of reservation in educational institutions."

"The UGC move has substantiated our apprehension on what Mohan Bhagwat and the RSS intended. There is no justification to say that eligible candidates are not available. It has been in vogue for long to say that candidates are not found suitable. There are hundreds and thousands of cases where deserving candidates are available but are rejected on discriminatory grounds,” he said.

He cited the case of Prof Chaman Lal who has 11 books to his credit and is eligible for professorship since 2018 but has not been appointed professor so far.

He pointed out that Rahul Gandhi has already raised the issue of the highly unrepresented OBC community at the secretary-level positions in the Government of India. "The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's main objective is to secure social and economic justice for the people of India. On the contrary, the Modi government is hell-bent upon diluting the representation of SC, ST, and OBC in governance," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Lilothia alleged that the BJP and RSS wanted to snatch the right to education given to SC, ST, OBC, and women in the Constitution.

"We demand that UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar should be dismissed with immediate effect and he should apologize to the entire 'Bahujan' community," he said while alleging, "since Jagadesh Kumar was made the Vice Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, before being made the UGC Chairman, the academic atmosphere of the university was completely communalized”.