Ramdas Athawale Demands Sedition Cases Against Those Opposing Reservation

Union Minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale on Sunday demanded that sedition cases be registered against people opposing or seeking the abolition of reservation, asserting that the quota system is a constitutional right.

In a statement, Athawale said protests against reservation, including those announced at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, had brought the issue back into focus. He also alleged that campaigns calling for the removal or modification of the reservation system were being circulated on social media.

“Opposition to reservation is opposition to the Constitution. Those taking an anti-reservation stand are anti-constitutional and stringent action of sedition should be taken against them,” Athawale said.

The Union minister maintained that reservation cannot be abolished, arguing that it is protected as a constitutional provision intended to support disadvantaged sections of society. His remarks came amid renewed public debate over the basis on which reservation and government welfare benefits should be provided.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said on Sunday that no permission had been granted to any individual or organisation to hold a protest or gathering at Jantar Mantar over reservation reforms. Police warned people against assembling at the site based on what they described as “misleading” social media posts.

Despite the advisory, a large number of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar carrying banners, posters and saffron flags. They raised slogans opposing caste-based reservation and called for changes to the existing system.

The protesters demanded that economic criteria should take precedence over caste while determining eligibility for government support and reservation. They argued that financial conditions should be given greater weight in deciding who qualifies for affirmative action.

The developments have intensified the debate over reservation policy, with Athawale defending the existing constitutional framework while protesters calling for a reassessment of the criteria governing quotas.