B.R. Ambedkar’s great-grandson, Rajratna Ambedkar, has claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) approached him to protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks on reservations made during his visit to the United States. In a video shared on social media, Rajratna alleges that BJP members pressured him for two days to stage protests, but he refused to comply.
“The country’s largest party asked me to protest and hold dharnas against Rahul Gandhi’s statements. I was pressured for two days, but I didn’t hold any protests and won’t do so. My movement is funded by society, and only society can direct me, not the BJP,” Rajratna said in the video posted on Instagram.
Supporting Rahul Gandhi’s stance, Rajratna added, “If someone is truly an Ambedkarite, why would they have an issue with what Rahul Gandhi said? We believe reservation should remain until social discrimination ends. We want to move beyond reservations, but is now the right time? This is what Rahul Gandhi has pointed out.”
He further clarified, “I am neither a supporter of Rahul Gandhi nor the Congress party, but on this issue, there’s no reason to oppose Rahul Gandhi. For me, Congress and the BJP are the same. But we must understand the right basis for holding protests.”
A video clip featuring Rajratna’s remarks was shared on social media, with one user highlighting his resistance to the BJP’s pressure. “He is Dr. Rajratna Ambedkar, Babasaheb’s great-grandson, explaining how the BJP tried to create confusion against reservation and Rahul Gandhi. As a true Ambedkarite, he found nothing wrong in Rahul’s statement,” the post read in Hindi.
What did Rahul Gandhi say about reservation?
During his visit to the U.S., Rahul Gandhi said India could consider ending the reservation system only when it becomes a truly “fair place” with equal opportunities for all sections of society. He remarked, “90 per cent of India—OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis—don’t play the game.”
However, BJP leaders accused Rahul Gandhi of making “anti-national” statements on foreign soil, criticizing his position on reservation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that Rahul was aligning with forces “conspiring to divide India.” Additionally, BJP members and Sikh leaders protested outside Gandhi’s residence in Delhi over his alleged “anti-Sikh” remarks.
In response to the backlash, Rahul Gandhi clarified that he is not against reservation and that, if his party comes to power, they would extend reservations beyond the current 50 per cent limit. “Yesterday, someone misrepresented my statement as being against reservation. But let me be clear—I support reservation, and we will go beyond the 50 per cent limit,” he said.
