MUMBAI — Taking a hardline stance against recent anti-quota demonstrations, Union Minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale on Sunday called for severe legal action, including sedition charges, against anyone demanding an end to the nation's reservation system.
Athawale argued that affirmative action is a fundamentally guaranteed constitutional right, asserting that any attempt to undermine or abolish it is equivalent to attacking the Constitution itself.
"Opposition to reservation is opposition to the Constitution. Those taking an anti-reservation stand are acting against constitutional principles, and stringent action under sedition law should be registered against them," Athawale stated in an official release.
The Union Minister’s remarks come amid renewed public debates and social media campaigns urging reforms or a complete overhaul of the current quota framework. On Sunday, tensions flared briefly in the national capital as a large crowd carrying banners, posters, and flags assembled near Jantar Mantar, raising slogans against caste-based reservation. Protesters voiced demands that economic background, rather than caste, should serve as the primary criterion for government support and affirmative action.
Addressing the gathering, the Delhi Police clarified that no permission had been granted to any individual or organization to hold demonstrations or mass assemblies at Jantar Mantar regarding reservation reforms. Authorities cautioned the public against gathering based on misleading social media calls.
Despite the pushback from anti-quota groups, Athawale reiterated that the reservation system remains non-negotiable and protected by constitutional safeguards designed to ensure social justice for historically marginalized communities.
