Mayawati slams Rahul Gandhi over anti-quota protests at Jantar Mantar
Synopsis
Mayawati's X post did more than criticise a protest — it put Congress on trial for silence. By juxtaposing Rahul Gandhi's Parliament police station dharna with his absence from Jantar Mantar, the BSP chief has framed Congress's inaction as ideological complicity, a potent charge in the run-up to elections where Dalit and OBC consolidation will be decisive.
Key Takeaways
BSP chief Mayawati on 23 August accused Rahul Gandhi and Congress of an 'anti-reservation mindset' over their silence at Jantar Mantar protests.
Protesters at Jantar Mantar demanded replacement of caste-based reservations for SC , ST , and OBC communities with economic criteria.
Mayawati noted that Gandhi staged a separate dharna the same day but did not engage with the anti-quota demonstrators nearby.
She invoked Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar , arguing constitutional reservations are essential to building an egalitarian society.
Mayawati also criticised the existing EWS economic quota, saying its benefits are not reaching intended beneficiaries due to systemic corruption.
The BSP chief called on all governments to deny protection to 'anti-reservation elements.'
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday, 23 August launched a sharp attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of harbouring an 'anti-reservation mindset' after neither he nor any Congress leader intervened to reason with protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi who were demanding that caste-based reservations be replaced with an economic criterion.
What Happened at Jantar Mantar
A group of demonstrators gathered at Jantar Mantar to demand that reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) — enshrined in the Constitution — be scrapped in favour of economically based quotas. The protest unfolded on the same day that Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside a Parliament police station to press for an FIR in a separate matter.
Mayawati drew a pointed contrast: while Gandhi spent several hours on that dharna, neither he nor any Congress colleague walked the short distance to Jantar Mantar to engage with the anti-reservation demonstrators.
What Mayawati Said on X
In a post on X, Mayawati stated: 'The recent demand raised by some people who gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to implement reservation on economic grounds, against the reservations provided to the SC, ST, and OBC communities in the Constitution, is in no way appropriate or in the interest of the nation. They should not undertake any action regarding reservation that harms the constitutional efforts to build an egalitarian society, a developed and honoured country.'
Targeting Congress directly, she said: 'But right next to it, at Jantar-Mantar, a dharna-protest was also underway to end the reservation given to Dalits and the exploited on the basis of caste, yet neither he nor any of his Congress companions went there even to reason with them, which clearly reveals their still anti-reservation mindset towards these sections.'
Ambedkar Invoked, Economic Reservation Critiqued
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister invoked Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, citing his assertion that 'Abandoning casteism is the greatest patriotism.' She argued that SC, ST, and OBC communities have been 'victims of the inhumanity of casteism for centuries' and called on citizens to demonstrate 'true patriotism' by upholding constitutional reservation provisions.
On the question of economic reservations, Mayawati acknowledged that an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota is already in place but argued that 'even its proper benefits are not reaching the poor families of the upper-caste society; rather, there is more deception in it.' She attributed the failure of both caste-based and economic quota schemes to what she called a 'corrupt and casteist governmental system' that has never implemented constitutional provisions adequately on the ground.
BSP's Broader Warning
Mayawati urged all governments to deny 'shelter or protection to anti-reservation elements', framing such a stance as being in the 'broader interest of the nation and the people.' She also appealed to citizens not to allow 'cheap politics' on what she described as 'such an important and sensitive issue' as reservation.
This comes amid a wider national debate on caste-based affirmative action, with the Supreme Court's recent rulings on sub-classification within SC/ST quotas adding fresh complexity to the discourse. Mayawati's broadside signals the BSP's intent to position itself as the uncompromising defender of constitutional reservation ahead of upcoming state elections.
Point of View
The optics are difficult to explain away. The BSP, long squeezed between the BJP and a resurgent Congress in Uttar Pradesh, has an electoral incentive to drive this wedge deep. Yet Mayawati's own critique of the EWS quota's implementation failures is a reminder that no party, including her own, has fully resolved the gap between constitutional intent and ground-level delivery on reservation.
NationPress
23 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Mayawati attack Rahul Gandhi over the Jantar Mantar protests?
Mayawati accused Rahul Gandhi of revealing an 'anti-reservation mindset' by staging a dharna at a Parliament police station on the same day but not engaging with protesters at Jantar Mantar who were demanding the end of caste-based quotas for SC, ST, and OBC communities. She argued that Congress's silence amounted to tacit support for the anti-reservation position.
What were the Jantar Mantar protests about?
The protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi called for reservations currently provided to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes under the Constitution to be replaced with a system based on economic criteria rather than caste. Mayawati described this demand as 'in no way appropriate or in the interest of the nation.'
What did Mayawati say about economic-basis reservation?
Mayawati acknowledged that an Economically Weaker Section quota already exists in India but argued that its benefits are not reaching intended upper-caste poor families, calling the implementation 'more deception.' She attributed failures across both caste-based and economic quota schemes to what she termed a 'corrupt and casteist governmental system.'
How did Mayawati invoke Dr Ambedkar in her statement?
She cited Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar's assertion that 'Abandoning casteism is the greatest patriotism' to argue that upholding constitutional reservations for SC, ST, and OBC communities — who have faced centuries of caste-based discrimination — is a matter of national interest and true patriotism.
What is the BSP's broader stance on reservation politics?
The BSP has consistently positioned itself as an uncompromising defender of constitutional caste-based reservations. Mayawati's statement urges all governments to deny 'shelter or protection to anti-reservation elements' and calls on citizens to reject what she called 'cheap politics' on the reservation issue.
