Does Rahul back NC’s anti-quota stance, asks Home Minister Shah

New Delhi, August 23

“Is the Congress on board with its ally National Conference’s stand on the abolition of reservation for Dalits, Gujjars, Bakerwals and Pahadis in the UT,” asked the BJP on Friday.

Under attack from the Opposition for recently advertising mid-level central posts without quotas, the BJP sought to turn the tables on the Congress.

Home Minister Amit Shah said, “The Modi government ended years of discrimination against Dalits, tribes, Pahadis and backward communities by granting them reservations after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A. Does Rahul Gandhi support the NC manifesto, which calls for abolishing reservations for Dalits, Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Pahadis?”

10 ‘contentious’ issues

• National Conference’s promise of separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir
• Restoration of Article 370 and Article 35-A
• NC’s promise to end reservation for Dalits, Gujjars, Bakarwals and Pahadi communities
• ‘LoC Trade’ with Pakistan
• Reinstating kin of people involved in terrorism and stone-pelting incidents into government jobs
• ‘Promotion of separatism’ by engaging in dialogue with Pakistan
• ‘Renaming’ Shankaracharya Hill as Takht-e-Suleiman, and Hari Hill as Koh-e-Maran
• ‘Pushing J&K’s economy back into corruption and handing it over to selected Pak-supported families’
• Discrimination between Jammu and the Valley
• Granting autonomy to Kashmir

“After forming an alliance with the NC, Rahul Gandhi should now clarify the Congress’ stand on reservation policy,” Shah said.

Terming the pre-poll alliance between the NC and the Congress as unholy, Smriti Irani asked the Congress what it had to say on the NC’s position that it would reinstate Article 370 and Article 35.

“Does the Congress support NC’s promise of a separate flag for J&K? Does it support NC’s agenda of breaking up India by reinstating Article 370 and calling for two flags and two constitutions? Does the Congress support NC’s stand on promoting trade between India and Pakistan,” Irani asked at a press conference.

The BJP also asked Congress leaders to spell out whether it supports the “reinstatement of people whose relatives are involved in terror activity and stone-pelting incidents in government jobs; renaming of Shankaracharya Hill as Takht-e-Sulaiman and Hari Parbat as Kohe Maraan”.

Earlier, Shah took to X to post excerpts from the NC’s pledges in J&K — including the resumption of full darbar move; restoration of the state flag; pursuit of LoC trade; reinstatement of Articles 370 and 35-A and the review of the current reservation policy.