CM Yogi makes the rightful demand of Dalit reservation in minority run instiutions.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath is well known for his bold and straightforward attitude. He does not mince words while raising any issue and he doesn’t fall for the nonsense of political correctness. This time again, he has raised a valid issue which no politician has dared to raise so far. CM Yogi Adityanath has pitched quota for Dalits in so-called minority run institutions like Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). CM Yogi said, “If an institution like Banaras Hindu University can give Dalit quota, why can’t minority-run institutions do that.”

He has made a pertinent demand that when other institutions give quota to Dalits then why not state-run and central universities like JMI and AMU, respectively. Why this discrimination with Dalits? Why are minority run institutions like AMU and JMI treating Dalits as untouchables and oppositions parties have maintained a stoic silence on this blatant educational untouchability against Dalits and engaging in usurping of constitutional rights of Dalits?

With this move, CM Yogi has killed many birds with one stone. If the so-called Dalit crusaders like Mayawati, Jignesh Mewani, Congress etc don’t support CM Yogi’s demand then they will stand exposed. Their silence would further encourage more number of Dalits to go with the BJP. Dalits would be happy to see that a CM of a Hindu party is fighting for the rights of his fellow depressed Hindu brother who have been denied what is constitutionally their right. This would completely annihilate the Dalit vote bank politics of parties like BSP and the Congress. Muslims hardliners will completely reject the demand and thus the bubble of so-called Dalit-Muslim unity would burst off completely. In all this BSP and the Congress would be at the receiving of both the communities’ ire. Irrespective of the brilliant political move, this is a valid political demand which cannot be ignored. It’s time for the Dalit politics crusaders to coalesce and support CM Yogi’s genuine demand. It’s a litmus test for them. Earlier, Amit Shah had also called for the reservation for SC/ST/OBC at AMU. 

Meanwhile, JMI and AMU have declined to comment on this issue and AMU said only reservation which they have is for their internal students. According to Republic World report, “Because our admission policy is being discussed in Supreme Court the matter is sub judice so we don’t have a comment on that. But we want to make it clear that we don’t have any reservations of any kind the only reservation is that we give 50% to our internal students no matter what religion you are from. The whole admission policy is challenged in the parliament, no other reservation is there.”

Ahead of the 2019 elections, the opposition parties are desperately trying to break away the Dalit voters from the BJP. But they have failed in their attempts so far and would continue to fail in future as well. Their modus operandi is to make ‘BJP versus Dalit’ narrative. However, opposition has failed to make any impact whatsoever. One of the reasons why the BJP got the landslide victory in 2014 is because of shift of Dalit voters in favour of the BJP. Dalits have understood that the BJP is actually serious and dedicated for their development and they are not exploiting them only as vote bank.