Bhagwat Rethink: Quotas Needed

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who had recently come in for criticism for his suggestion for a review of the reservation policy, on Wednesday batted for quotas saying they were needed as long as social discrimination remained in society.

“As long as social discrimination remains in the society, reservation is needed,” an RSS tweet quoting him said.“We should all work to- gether to end the caste based discrimination in the society,” RSS said in another tweet. The Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh chief’s remarks on quotas in a recent interview had drawn criticism and the Grand Alliance of parties led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad had used his remarks to mobilise backward caste votes. Following criticism in the wake of the Bihar debacle, however, RSS had clarified that Bhagwat was quoted out of context and that the outfit had always supported castebased reservation.