Now, Cong's Manish Tewari questions relevance of reservation

September 21, 2015 20:01

In remarks that could raise eyebrows within Congress, former Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today questioned the relevance of reservation in the 21st century and said if it was required at all, the economic condition, and not caste, should be the basis for it.

The Congress leader's comments came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in an interview to RSS organs 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya', pitched for a review of the reservation policy, contending it has been used for political ends and suggesting setting up of an apolitical committee to examine who needs such benefits and for how long.

Tewari insisted that he held these views on reservation for long and referred to an articled written by him over a fortnight ago.

"Notwithstanding whatever Bhagwat has articulated, the time has come to revisit the premise as to whether reservation is at all contextual in the 21st century. And if at all it is contextual then should the basis of reservation be economic as poverty is the biggest indice of backwawrdness?" Tewari said.

Tewari, a leader from Punjab, who served as the I&B Minister in the erstwhile UPA government as well as a party spokesperson, insisted that "economic reservation would benefit the poor irrespective of class, caste and religion".

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