Congress, a pioneer in bringing in social justice: K S Alagiri

Congress instrumental in implementing reservation for oppressed classes; Rahul Gandhi questioning lack of adequate representation of OBCs; CM Stalin accepted Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate; Congress leaders hesitant to make announcement.

Even as several parties are claiming to be the champions of social justice, it was the Congress that was instrumental in implementing reservation in jobs and education for the oppressed classes, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K.S. Alagiri said in Virudhunagar on Sunday.

Addressing party booth committee members of Virudhunagar and Tenkasi Parliamentary constituencies, Mr. Alagiri said the then Congress leader and former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj had approached the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with a proposal for reservation in education and jobs for the oppressed classes. Nehru wrote to Chief Ministers of all the States to sensitise their MPs and reservation was provided by bringing in the first amendment to the Constitution, he added. However, the Congress failed to propagate its achievement among the masses, Mr. Alagiri said, adding: “A lot of people have come to power through false propaganda. But, we did not even propagate what we genuinely did for the people.”

He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had taken up the failure of the Modi government at the Centre in carrying out caste-based census for providing appropriate reservation in jobs and education. “But, the Prime Minister is accusing the Congress of attempting to divide the people on the lines of caste.”

Even as the BJP had claimed that caste-based census was a difficult task, the Bihar government has successfully completed it, Mr. Alagiri said.

Party leader Peter Alphonse said Mr. Gandhi was only questioning the lack of adequate representation of OBCs, who are a majority in the country, in the post of Cabinet Secretary. “The Prime Minister is now rattled by the postures of Mr. Gandhi,” he said.

Pointing out that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had accepted Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate, Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore said, however, Congress leaders were still hesitant to make this announcement.