PM Modi explains why reservation became key issue of 2024 election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress-led opposition of doing vote bank politics to solicit votes in the 2024 election.

In an interview with ANI news agency, when asked how come the key narrative of the 2024 election centred around the reservation, instead of jobs and factories, Modi said that it was Congress who first brought up the issue. He said that after reading through their manifesto, he claimed that the grand-old party had plans to bring reservations based on religion and scrap affirmative action for SC, ST, OBCs and other backward community groups.

"I am not the one who is talking. I want to alert the SC, ST, OBC and other backward classes because they (the opposition) have been keeping them in darkness, and are looting them. Election is such a time, that I should make the countrymen aware of the biggest crisis that is coming. Therefore, I have been explaining this to the people," he said.

He said that he was shocked after he read through their manifesto which, he claimes, promised reservation based on religion in sports, and issuing tenders.

"They backstabbed the Constitution. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was the architect of this arrangement. They (Congress) mortgaged this for their vote-bank politics. That is when I thought that I should inform everyone. Then I saw their manifesto, which shocked me. And when I glanced through their manifesto, my first comment was that it bears an imprint of the Muslim League. For two or three days, they fell silent. And when they remained silent, I started to unveil everything."

"So these are schemes introduced by Congress for their vote bank politics. Then I took the responsibility of fighting for the rights of my Dalit, Tribal, OBC brothers and sisters," he added.

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