Reservation in Higher Education Institutes: The Congress party has raised concerns over a perceived conspiracy by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) against reservations and is demanding the removal of University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. The issue revolves around the UGCs proposal to de-reserve certain reserved posts, which the Congress claims to have thwarted through strong protests.Alleged RSS AgendaChairman of the Unorganised Workers and Employees Congress, Dr Udit Raj, and Congress SC Department Chairman, Rajesh Lilothia, held a press conference where they expressed apprehensions of an RSS-driven agenda against reservations. Udit Raj referred to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwats past statement revealing an anti-reservation stance and linked it to the recent UGC controversy.Withdrawal of GuidelinesThe Congress claims credit for the UGC withdrawing its guidelines after their protest. Udit Raj argued against the notion that eligible candidates were unavailable, stressing that it has long been a practice to reject candidates on discriminatory grounds. He cited examples, including Prof Chaman Lal, eligible for professorship since 2018 but not appointed.Political Angle and OBC RepresentationUdit Raj highlighted Rahul Gandhis concern about the underrepresentation of the OBC community in key government positions. He accused the Modi government of diluting the representation of SC, ST, and OBC in governance, contrasting it with the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatras objective of ensuring social and economic justice.Demand for UGC Chairmans DismissalRajesh Lilothia demanded the immediate dismissal of UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar, alleging that the BJP and RSS aimed to curtail the educational rights of SC, ST, OBC, and women as granted by the Constitution. He called for an apology from Jagadesh Kumar to the entire Bahujan community.Communalization AllegationsLilothia further alleged that since Jagadesh Kumar assumed the role of Vice Chancellor at Jawaharlal Nehru University before becoming UGC Chairman, the academic atmosphere of the university had been communalized. The Congresss stance is a strong condemnation of what they perceive as a threat to the established reservation system in India.
