Union minister Chiranjeev Paswan rebukes calls for reservation overhaul

During a Lok Sabha session, Minister Paswan criticised the push for altering the SC/ST reservation formula, calling it an attempt to sidestep the core issue of entrenched caste discrimination. He warned that converting the policy into an economic classification would erode its intent to dismantle historic oppression. Paswan also targeted opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning the Congress party’s accountability for continued social bias despite its long tenure in power. The minister’s remarks underscored the high‑stakes nature of the reservation debate within the NDA, especially in a state where Dalit politics can sway electoral outcomes.