Himanta Biswa Sarma advocates for OBC rights, says reservation cannot be based on religion

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasized the significant contributions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards the upliftment of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in India. Speaking about the issue of reservation and the controversy surrounding it, Sarma stated, "In the history of India, Modi ji has benefited the OBC class the most."

Sarma continued to elaborate on the initiatives taken by the Modi government, stating, "Modi ji made the reservation commission, Modi ji gave permission to the states to expand the OBC list. Our main votes are from SC, ST, and OBC which strengthens our party", the CM underscored stating the importance of the OBC community in boosting the party's support.

However, the Chief Minister expressed reservations about extending reservations to Muslims under the OBC category. He articulated, "Our issue is with Muslims getting reservations in the name of OBC. Because our reservation cannot be based on religion." Sarma stressed the need to uphold the constitutional principles and avoid any deviation that may compromise its integrity. "We don't want to change the constitution rather want to strengthen the constitution," he affirmed.

Sarma's comments also delved into the conduct of political leaders, contrasting the respectful approach of Prime Minister Modi with past leaders. "When Modi ji became the PM for the first time, he did bow down and greeted everyone the moment he entered the parliament but Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Manmohan Singh never did that," Sarma remarked.

Responding to criticism from the opposition, Sarma defended his party's stance, stating,  "Opposition says we want to change the Constitution. However, the truth is that our will is within the limits of the law. Functions like cow protection and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) are all specified in the Constitution.