Jairam Ramesh opposes Lalu's statement on religion-based reservation

Patna, May 20 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday opposed the statement of Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Yadav about giving reservations to the Muslim community across the country.

Ramesh said that giving reservations based on one's religion is wrong.

"We have never given any reservation based on religion. The Constitution also does not say that anyone should be given reservation in the name of religion. It is the Bharatiya Janata Party that wants to divide society based on religion. This is the reason why it is bringing a law like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)," the Congress leader added while interacting with the media persons in Patna on Sunday.

"BJP is giving citizenship in the name of religion which is against the Constitution of the country. Reservation can be given only if there is social and economic backwardness," Ramesh said.

Congress was seen distancing itself from Lalu Yadav's statement of giving reservations based on religion.

Earlier, Lalu Yadav had said that Muslims should be given reservations.

Later, the RJD Chief immediately took a U-turn and backtracked from his earlier statement, and wrote a post on social media that the reservation cannot be given based on religion.

Jairam Ramesh has criticised the BJP and said that its leaders do not talk about people's issues.

"The Lok Sabha election has been held for 369 Lok Sabha seats so far and it was clear in the initial phase of polling that BJP has been wiped out in south India and halved in north India. The results will come in our (INDIA bloc's) favour on June 4," he added.

Jairam Ramesh said: "There is no election wave in favour of BJP across the country. Only resentment among the youth and workers. PM Modi has not yet broken his silence on caste-based census. He should clarify whether he is in favour of a caste-based census or against it. The Supreme Court had set a limit of 50 per cent reservation. PM Modi should tell whether he will take it beyond 50 per cent."

Reacting to the poll promises made by the Congress during the recent Assembly elections in Karnataka and Telangana, Ramesh said: "Our guarantee is not a person's guarantee but it was the party's guarantee. Whatever promises were made in Telangana and Karnataka have been fulfilled."