Going against the party line, BJP MP Shanta Kumar today backed the RSS chief over his call for a review of the reservation policy, saying the whole country should seriously think over Mohan Bhagwat's suggestions.
Kumar, who had earlier spoken against lack of inner party dialogue in BJP, said Bhagwat had only sought a review of the quota system and not ending it.
"RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has offered very necessary suggestions on a issue of national importance. The whole country should seriously think over it. He has not spoken about completely abolishing reservation and but only sought its review," Kumar said in an online post.
The Lok Sabha MP from Kangra suggested that efforts should be made to ensure that the poorest in all castes entitled for reservation get benefits first and the more affluent in them should be kept out.
BJP has distanced itself from Bhagwat's comments, insisting it was against any review of the existing reservation policy. RSS also clarified that Bhagwat had not spoken about the existing quotas.
Kumar cited a social and economic review, which said not even 5 per cent of families in these communities have got full benefits of reservation, to buttress his point.
The former Himachal Pradesh chief minister said the poorest among the upper castes should also be given quota benefits or some special schemes should be started for them.
Kumar had created a flutter in the party a couple of months ago by saying that fingers from "Rajasthan to Maharashtra are being pointed at us" while Vyapam scam has "made all of us bow our heads in shame".
In a letter to party chief Amit Shah, he had sought remedial actions so that "no further harm is done" to it.
