Salient points of press conference of Senior BJP Leader Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad (MP)

Salient Points of BJP Senior Leader, Lok Sabha MP & Former Union Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad’s Press Conference

Congress's agreement to the All India Ulema Board's demand for a "charter for the dissolution of the country"

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Rahul Gandhi, who often speaks about the Constitution, should be aware that religion-based reservation is strictly prohibited by the Constitution
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In the Indra Sawhney case, 9-judges of the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not allow discrimination based only on religion, caste, race, or sex. The Supreme Court had also rejected the reservation given on a religious basis in Andhra Pradesh

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Was the assurance given by Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole to Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind to fulfill their demands given with the consent of the Congress? How much more will Congress divide the country for votes?

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To defeat BJP and NDA, the Congress party has crossed all limits of constitutional and political decorum

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RSS is a nationalist organization that has made historic contributions to the development of the country, service to the nation, and promoting patriotism. Do Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge support the demand to ban RSS?
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RSS has always sacrificed for the nation and national security. Next year, RSS will complete 100 years of service. Given this long history, the question arises: will Rahul Gandhi trade the sacrifices made by RSS for vote bank politics?
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Has Uddhav Thackeray forgotten his legacy? Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is no longer the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray but has become an ‘Awsarvaadi Sena’

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The demands of the Ulema Board and the response of the Congress are condemnable. The Bharatiya Janata Party will expose the INDI Alliance across the country
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Bharatiya Janata Party Senior Leader, Lok Sabha MP and Former Union Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad addressed a press conference at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, on Saturday. During the conference, Shri Prasad pointed out the demands made by the All India Ulema Board to the MVA leaders, which included demands such as 10% reservation for Muslims in employment and a ban on the RSS. Shri Prasad condemned the Congress for considering these demands and questioned whether Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had ever read the Constitution before accepting such divisive proposals.

Shri Prasad pointed out that the All India Ulema Board of Maharashtra had sent a letter to political leaders such as Nana Patole, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and other parties. In the letter, they laid out several demands, stating that if the parties wanted their votes, they would need to fulfill these conditions:

·      Opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill

·      10% reservation for Muslims in employment and education

·      Removal of encroachments on the mosque, dargah, and Kabristan land in 48 districts of Maharashtra

·      Financial aid of Rs 15,000 for imams and mosques

·      Police recruitment preference for Muslim youth

·      A ban on the RSS

·      Legal action against figures like Shri Nitish Rane and Shri Ramgiri Maharaj, while releasing individuals like Maulana Salman from jail.

Former Union Minister Shri Prasad stated that the demands made by the All India Ulema Board are a "charter for the dissolution of the country." The MP expressed concern over the response from the Maharashtra Congress, who have pledged to consider the demands after forming the next government in the state. Rahul Gandhi, who often speaks about the Constitution, should be aware that religion-based reservation is strictly prohibited by the Constitution. The BJP raised a critical question, asserting that any reservation based on religion is against the law, citing the famous Supreme Court 9-judge bench decision in the Indra Sawhney case concerning the Mandal Commission. The ruling in Paragraph 23 clearly stated that "The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, and sex."

Shri Prasad reminded that the Supreme Court has rejected religion-based reservations, such as those in Andhra Pradesh, and challenged Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge—who carry the Constitution in their speeches—to clarify if they support the demand for a 10% Muslim reservation. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole had promised the Ulema Board that Congress would consider their divisive and communal demand for a 10% Muslim reservation. Religion-based reservations are entirely prohibited by the Constitution, a stance upheld by the Supreme Court, and questioned how much more the nation would be divided for the sake of votes.

BJP Senior Leader Shri Prasad stated that in the Karnataka election, Congress took the support of PFI. “The Congress party is crossing all the limits of constitutional propriety and political propriety to get votes to defeat BJP and NDA.” He mentioned that they do not understand the value of the Constitution and just roam around the country giving lectures about it. The Jamiat also demanded a ban on RSS, to which Nana Patole responded that they will think about it. Whether Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge would openly express whether they support the RSS or not. Rahul Gandhi's grandmother had imposed a ban on RSS during the Emergency, which was overturned by the Tribunal and eventually led to Congress's loss in the 1977 elections. The RSS is a nationalist organization, historically working for development, the nation's service, and patriotism. Whether serving Dalits and Adivasis or during natural calamities, the RSS has always made sacrifices for national security. He asserted that the RSS has been serving the nation for 100 years and asked whether Rahul Gandhi would bargain the sacrifices of the RSS for vote bank politics.

Former Union Minister Shri Prasad questioned Uddhav Thackeray whether he has forgotten his legacy. Balasaheb Thackeray, who has struggled against it. Matoshree itself stands for the center of national power and national security. Being his son, he has a legacy, but he is accepting what Balasaheb is fighting against. Shiv Sena of Uddhav Thackeray is ‘Awsarvadi Sena’. It is no more Shiv Sena founded and led by Balasaheb Thackeray, but an organization out to grab power by making all the compromises. This is hurtful as the BJP has been in alliance in the past. The third question is to Sharad Pawar, who, even knowing the constitution, is working against it. Being 80+ and a respectable leader in Maharashtra politics, he should teach them that this could not happen. For vote banks, they will go to any extent. The BJP wants to clarify that this kind of dissolution demand has been condemned by it and will never let it be implemented. This will not be passed by the court also, and the BJP will protest against it. The 10% reservation in jobs and police recruitment is wrong according to the constitution, as there is a limit of 50% reservation in the constitution. So whose rights will they snatch—OBC, SC, or ST? The whole demand is to snatch the rights of OBC, SC, and ST.  There should be a campaign in politics, but any campaign aimed at breaking the nation should be prohibited. This is condemnable, and not just in Maharashtra, but the BJP will expose the INDI Alliance across the entire country.

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