Union minister Ramdas Athawale has called for sedition charges against people opposing the reservation system or demanding its abolition.
In a statement on Sunday, Athawale, who is also president of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), said recent protests against reservation had brought the issue back into public debate.
He also referred to social media campaigns calling for the existing reservation system to be removed or changed.
“Opposition to reservation is opposition to the Constitution. Those taking an anti-reservation stand are anti-constitutional and stringent action of sedition should be taken against them,” Athawale said.
Protest Held at Jantar Mantar
Athawale’s remarks came after a group of protesters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and raised slogans against caste-based reservation.
The protesters carried banners, posters and saffron flags and demanded that economic conditions be given greater importance than caste when deciding eligibility for reservation and other government benefits.
The protesters argued that reservation policies should be based primarily on financial disadvantage rather than caste identity.
Delhi Police Warn Against Unauthorised Gatherings
Delhi Police said that no individual or organisation had been given permission to hold a demonstration or gathering at Jantar Mantar over reservation reforms.
Police also warned people against assembling on the basis of social media posts that they described as misleading.
The latest controversy comes amid renewed public debate over reservation, its constitutional basis and demands for changes to the existing system.
Athawale, however, maintained that reservation is constitutionally guaranteed and should not be abolished.
