The Congress on Monday asked the central government to urgently bring a legislation to enforce reservation for scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), and other backward classes (OBCs) in private educational institutions.

Anil Jaihind, Congress OBC Department chairman, asserted that the Centre was forced to make a statement on caste census after the party brought it up and stated the government would also be forced to enforce Article 15(5), which aims to permit reservations for SCs, STs, and socially and educationally backwards classes in educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, with the exclusion of minority institutions.

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of “sitting on” this constitutional provision for the past 11 years, depriving over 100 crore citizens of their access to education and said his party will push for this legislation in the upcoming Parliament session.

“Modi ji calls himself an OBC and talks of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, but for the last 11 years he has been sitting on it,” he said

Jaihind averred that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had added Article 15(5) to the Constitution in 2006 and milestone Supreme Court judgments Ashok Kumar Thakur vs Union of India (2008), IMA vs Union of India (2011), and Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust vs Union of India had enforced this provision.

But he added, since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to office in 2014, they have not introduced the legislation required to bring this right into effect.

The Congress party, our respected president Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition, saviour of the constitution, Rahul Gandhi ji will receive this article 15(5) of the Constitution, reservation for SC, ST, OBC in private institutions, in this very session of Parliament," he claimed.

"When Rahul ji brought up the issue of caste discrimination, you all listened to what Modi ji had to say.". After he uttered that it is a great sin to speak of caste, there is no caste, and in this nation, there are only women, youth, poor people, and farmers. After he uttered that these are urban Naxals who speak like this. One of their leaders, whose name is very trending on social media, had uttered that whoever speaks of caste will be beaten up. So, in spite of such remarks, when pressure from the country, citizens, OBC, SC, ST mounted, they were forced. This government will be forced to create legislation on Article 15(5) and make this reservation within no time," he stated.

"The era of social justice has begun, and no power in the world can prevent implementation of provisions for social justice in the Constitution," he summed up.